The Fine Gael leader, Mr Enda Kenny, may not make critical appointments among his senators until the end of the month, it has emerged.
Fianna Fáil senators will today choose a nominee for the post of Cathaoirleach, and the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, is expected to nominate the party's former deputy leader, Ms Mary O'Rourke, as Leader of the House.
However, Fine Gael sources indicated yesterday that Mr Kenny may not appoint a Leas-Chathaoirleach and Fine Gael leader in the Seanad until later this month.
The posts will be much sought after, given that many of the 15 Fine Gael senators are aspiring TDs and would be glad of the valuable media and public exposure.
Fine Gael's Seanad electoral strategy, which was geared towards securing the election of potential TDs, means that there are just two established senators, Mr Paul Coghlan and Mr Paddy Burke, in the party line-up in the new upper house.
The dilemma facing Mr Kenny is whether to give the jobs to Mr Coghlan and Mr Burke, on the basis of experience and past performance, or to senators being groomed for the Dáil.
Mr Coghlan, from Killarney, has a strong case for a significant promotion on the basis of his performance in the last Seanad, when he was an active and impressive performer in all aspects of Seanad work.
Mr Burke, from Castlebar, Co Mayo, has been a close associate of Mr Kenny for many years. His undeniably strong case for one of the jobs could be hindered by the possible perception within the party of nepotism if he is Mr Kenny's nominee.
If Mr Kenny opts to give the jobs to senators from the new intake, defeated TDs Mr Jim Higgins (Mayo), Mr Michael Finucane (Limerick West), Mr Brian Hayes (Dublin South West), Mr Ulick Burke (Galway East) and Mr Paul Bradford (Cork East) may be in line.
Mr Higgins is expected to stand for the party in Connacht-Ulster in the next European elections. The others hope to win back their seats at the next general election.
Meanwhile Mr Joe O'Toole, the Independent senator, has called for major reform of the Seanad. In a statement yesterday he said that the upper house must be more than a creature of the political parties.
"We could begin by acknowledging that the Seanad is exclusive, undemocratic and unrepresentative and that, in particular, its anachronistic and opaque system of election is in urgent need of reform," he said.
"The system of election is daft. It is a sobering and unacceptable fact that only 0.03 per cent of the population have a vote in the election of 43 members of the second house of parliament. Even more sobering is the fact that some of us among that tiny percentage have not one but six votes each.
"It is the kind of thing that would raise eyebrows in North Korea, Zimbabwe or Albania of old, and it justifiably leaves the Seanad open to allegations of rotten boroughs, gerrymandering and exclusive club."
Mr O'Toole said that voting rights should be given to the graduates of every third-level college. "Then we should set about giving voting rights to members of all vocational groups in the Seanad elections," he added.
