The Public Offices Commission is to meet tomorrow evening to decide whether it will start an investigation into the Minister of State, Mr Ned O'Keeffe, for an alleged breach of the Ethics in Public Office Act.
Last week the Taoiseach withheld public support from Mr O'Keeffe. On two consecutive days Mr Ahern did not respond to a request in the Dail from the Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, to say whether he had confidence in Mr O'Keeffe.
Mr Ahern has stated recently that the position of Ministers of State is "under review". These comments and his refusal to express confidence in Mr O'Keeffe have been interpreted as indicating that Mr O'Keeffe may be removed from his post as Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture to another such position or to the back benches.
Mr O'Keeffe voted against a Labour private members' motion last November calling for a ban on the feeding of meat-and-bone meal to all animals. However, Labour says he should have declared that his family farm has a meat-and-bone meal licence, and therefore had a material interest in the vote.
The Ethics in Public Office Act requires that such a material interest be declared to the Public Offices Commission in advance of any vote. The commission has exchanged letters with Mr O'Keeffe and his legal advisers in recent weeks.