The Government is confident that Independent TDs will ensure it survives a Dail vote this week. A joint Opposition motion is calling for a change in the Moriarty Tribunal terms of reference.
The Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, is expected to talk to the three Independent TDs who support the coalition - Ms Mildred Fox, Mr Jackie Healy-Rae and Mr Harry Blaney - to determine if they will back it in Thursday night's vote.
Meanwhile, an amendment to counter the Opposition motion will be ready today and is expected to state that the Moriarty Tribunal is already empowered in its terms of reference to investigate all past and present public representatives who benefitted from the Ansbacher accounts.
It is also likely to claim that the investigation ordered by the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, into all aspects of the Ansbacher Accounts should ultimately reveal the depositors.
The Government's amendment is expected to seal the necessary Independent support to see off the Opposition move. Within hours of the Dail's resumption tomorrow, Fine Gael will use its Private Members time to debate the motion tabled by itself, Labour, Democratic Left and the Green Party.
The motion, which aims to investigate Ansbacher depositors who evaded tax or engaged in other fraudulent activity, will be debated tomorrow night and again on Thursday before the issue is voted upon.
In a separate development, a Government spokesman said he believes a Fianna Fail TD, Ms Beverly Cooper-Flynn would cooperate fully with any investigation into the National Irish Bank off-shore investment scheme. Ms Cooper-Flynn was "just an employee at the bank" and NIB should be answering the questions raised, he said.
The Democratic Left spokesman on finance, Mr Pat Rabbitte, had urged Ms Cooper-Flynn, to make a Dail statement on her role in the NIB scheme. She worked for the bank before being elected in Mayo last year.
Mr Rabbitte said the Tanaiste should also nominate an officer under the Companies Act to investigate the NIB financial investments for Irish residents through accounts in the Isle of Man.
It was not possible to contact Ms Cooper-Flynn yesterday.
On his way to a meeting with the ICTU yesterday, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said that if the Revenue Commissioners had difficulty with sufficient powers, "it is open to them to look to have those powers to be amended".
"I have always been in favour of the Revenue Commissioners having powers because many of the powers that I gave in the Finance Bill of 1992 have not been used by the Revenue Commissioners because they were so farseeing at the time they haven't had reason to use them," the Taoiseach added.