Fianna Fail is to amend a mandatory code of ethics for its officeholders and election candidates following strong objections from within the parliamentary party.
The demand that Fianna Fail candidates sign a pledge to produce, if asked, "satisfactory evidence" that their tax affairs are in order has provoked antagonism.
TDs and Senators are also angry they have not had sufficient time to examine the 17-page "Standards In Public Life" document which has been drawn up by a special committee on the instructions of the leadership.
At a meeting of the parliamentary party yesterday, TDs and Senators were invited to submit amendments to the committee, which had already spent six months drafting the document.
The Standards in Public Life Committee, headed by the chairman of the parliamentary party, Dr Rory O'Hanlon, and the general secretary, Mr Martin Macken, will return in two weeks with a redrafted code of ethics.
"It will not be watered down," a senior Fianna Fail source said last night. According to one TD, much of the annoyance is due to the fact that the code of ethics was "bounced" on the parliamentary party shortly before last week's meeting. The Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, led the expressions of opposition.
According to the document, the purpose of the code of ethics was to set out "guiding principles and a general code of conduct to which members active in public life should adhere". It was designed to support "a culture of the highest ethical standards within the party and in public life in general".
Under the code, each ail candidate who contests a general, European or local election would be required to sign a party pledge prior to selection. The candidate would undertake to "refrain from doing anything inimical to the prestige of the Fianna Fail organisation".
However, it was the section of the pledge dealing with taxation that brought the most objections. This states that "in particular I confirm my tax affairs are in order and that I will produce satisfactory evidence to this effect if requested to do so".
Any prospective candidate refusing to sign this pledge would not be eligible to represent the party at the polls "for any elected office".