The Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs, Mr Ahern, will today become the most senior Fianna Fail politician to support a ban on business funding of political parties.
Mr Ahern will tell a meeting of the Local Authority Members Association in Kilkenny that all corporate and trade union donations to political parties and politicians should be ended. His audience will consist of councillors from all political parties.
He will also set out a number of alternative methods for financing political activity, including the option of State funding.
While speaking in a personal capacity, Mr Ahern's support for a ban will be seen as the strongest indication yet that the Taoiseach has changed his position on business donations. A similar idea proposed by Laois-Offaly TD Mr Sean Fleming received a lukewarm response at a recent meeting of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party.
At that stage, the Taoiseach recommended that the matter be considered by the Minister for Finance in the context of the forthcoming Standards in Public Office Bill. However, following the Dunlop revelations at the Flood tribunal, the issue of corporate donations has moved up the Government's agenda.
The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, indicated a U-turn in long-time PD policy last week when she said in the Dail that a ban should be considered on an "all-party basis". The Labour Party and the Greens have for some time advocated the introduction of such a ban.
In a further development, Mr Ahern will propose that any public representative found guilty of unethical behaviour would be prohibited from standing for public office at a further date. Sources say this would, in effect, be a hard-hitting "one strike and you are out" system.
The suggestion may be included as an amendment to the forthcoming Local Government Bill, which, as revealed in The Irish Times, contains a section entitled "Ethical Framework for the Local Government Service".
The Bill notes that "an employee or a member of a local authority shall not seek, exact or accept from any person any fee, reward or other favour for anything done by virtue of his or her employment of office".
Thirteen areas of declarable interests are defined in the legislation, including any business involvements related to "dealing in or developing land"; shares valued above £10,000 in any company; company directorships, and gifts including foreign travel valued above £500.
"A remunerated position held by the person concerned as a political or public affairs lobbyist, consultant or adviser during the appropriate period" will also have to be declared.
The conference in Kilkenny will be the first gathering of councillors since the recent revelations at the Flood tribunal.