Talks continued late last night regarding the resignation expected today of Mr Justice Cyril Kelly from the High Court. According to informed sources the focus of the deliberations - which extended over the weekend and yesterday - was not on the issue of the judge's pension rights but on two outstanding judgments which he had been due to deliver.
Meanwhile the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, prepared a package of measures aimed at restoring public confidence in the judicial system for urgent discussion by the Cabinet this morning.
In talks involving a team of senior barristers and Government officials, Mr Justice Kelly was last night seeking to clarify the implications of his possible resignation as the Government prepared to meet today to deal with issues arising from the case.
The most crucial of these concerns accusations of child abuse at Madonna House. This case, before Mr Justice Kelly, ran for more than 10 days and was seen in legal circles as extremely important in determining the law on the statute of limitation in sex abuse cases.
Up to late last night the Government had received no formal indication as to when the High Court judge - now faced with resignation or impeachment - proposed to step down. But the expectation remained that he would quit before today's Cabinet meeting.
Part of the initial delay in a resignation announcement was put down to the judge's need to establish his pension entitlements. It is understood that these will amount to an annual payment of over £20,000.
Meanwhile the report into the role of court officials, particularly the County Registrar, Mr Michael Quinlan, in the Sheedy case has been completed for consideration by Cabinet today.
It is expected that disciplinary procedures will be invoked by the Government and the Minister for Justice, Mr O'Donoghue, will outline his proposals in a statement to the Dail this evening.
The chairman of the Committee on Justice, Equality and Womens' Affairs, Mr Eoin Ryan, said the report would be published today after being first discussed briefly by his committee.
The Government has allowed time for statements on the Sheedy case in the Dail today. In his address, the Minister for Justice will also outline proposals for the reform of the courts system.
Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr Jim Higgins, said he intended to question the Minister on the reserved judgments which remained to be delivered by Mr Justice O'Flaherty. Litigants involved in these cases now found themselves in a major dilemma and the costs should be borne by the State, he added.
Meanwhile, in advance of today's Dail sitting, Fianna Fail signalled that it would pressurise the Fine Gael deputy leader, Mrs Nora Owen, to withdraw the "slur" on the Minister's character by suggesting a "Caherciveen connection" at the outset of the controversy.