The President, Mrs McAleese, has been asked to deliver an end-of-millennium address to both houses of the Oireachtas when they sit on December 16th for the last time this century.
The proposal was put forward by the National Millennium Committee (NMC), of which the Taoiseach's former adviser, Mr Paddy Duffy, is still a member.
A Government source said the proposal had been agreed in principle "at the highest levels", but constitutional protocol would have to be observed before it became official.
The President is to convene a meeting of the Council of State to consult it on whether the proposal is in accordance with the Constitution.
If it is agreed, Mrs McAleese would become only the second president to give an address to both the Seanad and the Dail. Mrs Mary Robinson addressed the joint houses twice during her seven-year term.
If all goes to plan, December 16th will be the day for US-style state-of-the-nation addresses from the Taoiseach and Opposition party leaders, as well as the President. The diplomatic corps is expected to be present, and informal talks have taken place with RTE about live television coverage of the proceedings. A State reception will be organised for the end of the day.
The Minister of State and Chairman of the NMC, Mr Seamus Brennan, said yesterday that a presidential address would be an appropriate way to mark the passage of democracy in the latter half of the century. He said it should be a time for reflection as well as celebration. "The millennium coming to an end has been an age of high civilisation and modern barbarism," he said. He hoped the next millennium would see further major advances and that it would not be scarred by so many crimes against humanity.
"The final sitting day in this century of the Dail and Seanad seems the most appropriate date for such a memorable gathering to mark the millennium in a way that is lasting and dignified," he said.
Asked whether Mr Duffy, who resigned last week as special adviser to the Taoiseach after revelations that he was a director of a public relations firm, was still a member of the committee, Mr Brennan said that "at the moment he is, yes". He added that he would be discussing Mr Duffy's position with him during the week.
The 15-member NMC was established by the Government last November to select projects to commemorate the millennium in the State.
Since January 1st the office of the NMC has dealt with more than 1,550 telephone queries and hundreds of letters and faxes in relation to the celebrations.
In all, 545 projects have been submitted to the NMC for assessment - these relate to the environment, science and technology, religious and youth areas.