All Dail parties are expected to unite tomorrow night in calling on the EU Commissioner, Mr Padraig Flynn, to clarify the circumstances in which he allegedly received £50,000 from the London-based property developer, Mr Tom Gilmartin.
The Cabinet will today agree the wording of a Government amendment to a Fine Gael Private Member's motion tabled for tonight which demands "a full and immediate response" to Mr Gilmartin's claims about the donation in 1989.
While accommodating the thrust of the Fine Gael requirement, it is believed that the Government amendment will not support the motion which states that, if Mr Flynn fails to make the necessary statement, the Dail would consider whether it was "of the opinion" he should continue as Commissioner.
The Dail has no power to remove Mr Flynn from his position.
Senior Government sources said the amendment wording must take account of Progressive Democrat wishes but must also be cognisant of Ms Beverly Cooper-Flynn, the Mayo TD and daughter of the Commissioner. It would not be realistic to expect her to support a Dail condemnation of her father or any proposal that he resign, the sources said.
Ms Cooper-Flynn could not be contacted for comment last night. The Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, was in talks on an appropriate wording with the former PD leader, Mr Des O'Malley (the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, is in Australia). The Government amendment is expected to echo strongly recent calls on Mr Flynn by the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste that he make a statement on the alleged £50,000 donation. Such a view is widely supported in the Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party.
But the Commissioner has resolutely refused to state whether he received the money, insisting the Flood tribunal is the appropriate forum.
Because the Fine Gael motion involves the EU Commissioner, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, will address the matter in the Dail when the debate begins at 7.30 p.m. tonight. Voting will take place at the conclusion of the debate tomorrow night.
The motion puts Mr Flynn back at the centre of the donations controversy, but the occasion will also be used to concentrate Fianna Fail fire on the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, who telephoned Mr Gilmartin on Thursday week last.
Signalling its counter-attack, Fianna Fail yesterday seized on Mr Bruton's call, claiming he was "running away" from explaining why he made contact with the property developer.
Mr Gilmartin told The Irish Times Mr Bruton asked him two questions during their conversation. Had Mr Gilmartin ever met him or had he done business with his (Mr Bruton's) estate? "I said `No' but that I had bought land from Mr Desmond Bruton at Quarryvale 10 years ago. There was nothing else discussed, neither the tribunal nor me," Mr Gilmartin added.
A Fine Gael spokesman hotly denied as "spurious" a claim by the Fianna Fail TD, Mr Pat Carey, that Mr Bruton "refused" to appear on last night's edition of RTEs Questions and Answers, which was held in his Meath constituency.
It is understood Mr Bruton was invited two weeks ago to participate in the programme but declined the invitation on Friday last. The party's deputy leader, Mrs Nora Owen, took part instead.
The spokesman said: "He did not pull out of Questions and Answers. He never intended to go on because he was preparing for the weekend ardfheis. He was not obliged to go on because it was [recorded] in Navan. He is a national leader," the spokesman added.