A proposal to introduce an annual membership fee of £10-£15 is being considered by Fianna Fail.
The proposal is being examined by the Fianna Fail 21st Century Committee, which is reviewing the party's procedures and operations. The committee is chaired by the Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern.
A spokesman for ail said the party last night said there were no immediate plans to bring the proposed membership fee to the national executive for ratification.
A £10 membership fee for the party's 60,000 or more members would yield £600,000 a year. Sources see it as a means of reducing Fianna Fail's reliance on donations from the corporate sector.
Welcoming reports that Fianna Fail was considering imposing a membership fee, Green Party MEP Ms Nuala Ahern said Fianna Fail quite clearly relied too heavily on support from big business. This left it vulnerable to being influenced by vested interests, she said.