The Government is blaming sources in the last administration for the leak from the Department of Foreign Affairs which, they claim, is designed to damage Prof Mary McAleese's presidential campaign. However, senior Government sources last night said there are no plans to carry out an investigation into who leaked the internal memo, which was written by Ms Dympna Hayes, a first secretary in the Anglo-Irish division.
The memo cited two conversations with Prof McAleese - one in January last and another in May - which covered a range of issues including the peace process and the British general election. The second conversation dealt with Sinn Fein's performance in the election and analysed the party's increased vote.
The document was sent to Mr Sean O hUiginn, assistant secretary of the Department at the time and in charge of Anglo-Irish affairs. He is now Ambassador to Washington.
According to sources, it is normal and "legitimate" for notes such as this to be circulated "in a limited way" within the Department. They are used to convey attitudes and insights into views on sensitive subjects such as Northern Ireland.
The leak of the memo to the Sunday Business Post has angered the Government, which believes it was designed to spoil Prof McAleese's chances of election on October 30th. Expressing shock, the candidate said she had no idea the conversations with the civil servant were being reported back to the Department.
The Fianna Fail/PD candidate denied suggestions in the document that she is sympathetic to Sinn Fein or its electoral strategy. She has said she supports the SDLP.
According to the memo, as cited, Prof McAleese was of the view that Sinn Fein would gain much electoral ground from the SDLP. It says that, for the first time, many middle-class voters, especially first-generation nationalists like herself, would be able to "countenance voting for Sinn Fein as continuing to support Hume while at the same time landing a more direct swipe at the British government".
She is reported as expressing the view that Mr Mick Murphy, the Sinn Fein candidate in Rostrevor - where she lives with her family - could pick up a seat in the local elections. Much of the new support for Sinn Fein was coming from young middle-aged, upwardly mobile nationalists.