A plan to award Gay Byrne the freedom of the city of Dublin could be thrown by last-minute moves by Labour Party councillors to also nominate Ms Aung San Suu Kyi.
At its meeting tonight the city council was expected to vote by acclamation to award freedom of the city to the veteran broadcaster. But some councillors now fear that the plan by Labour members to add the Burmese opposition politician to the ticket could lead to an unseemly row and cause postponement of the vote.
Nominations for the freedom of the city are traditionally by acclamation, and efforts are usually made before the council meeting at which the nomination will be discussed to ensure that the council will back the nomination unanimously.
The Labour councillor, Mr Tommy Broughan TD, said leaders of council groups were normally quietly consulted in advance about the Lord Mayor's nominee for the freedom of the city, but this had not happened when Gay Byrne was suggested by the Lord Mayor, Joe Doyle.
"This is an initiative the Lord Mayor seems to have taken by himself. A lot of my constituents would like to see Gay Byrne's achievements honoured but at the same time there are a lot of members of our party who would like to show solidarity with Aung San Suu Kyi," he said.
Cllr Tony Gregory TD appealed to colleagues not to play politics with Mr Byrne's nomination. "Gay Byrne is a more than worthy recipient of the honour. He would be a candidate of the people".
One Fianna Fail councillor said he feared a last-minute wrangle over nominations might take away from the dignity of the honour and cause embarrassment to the proposed recipient.
The Labour councillors will meet to discuss the matter before tonight's meeting of the council.
Previous recipients of the honour include Presidents John F. Kennedy and Bill Clinton, Mother Teresa, Pope John Paul II and Nelson Mandela, and the entertainer Maureen Potter.
Mr Byrne's nomination was designed to coincide with his retirement from presenting The Late Late Show, which he has hosted for 35 years.
