Officials in the Office of Public Works and the Department of Environment have been asked to review draft sections of a report into the award of lucrative public relations contracts to a political associate of the Minister for Transport, Mr Cullen.
The report by the former Revenue chairman, Mr Dermot Quigley, is likely to be given to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, before the Dáil resumes tomorrow.
A source close to Mr Cullen made light of claims by Fianna Fáil TDs that people in the Minister's immediate circle were increasingly confident that he would be cleared of wrong-doing in the report on the award of contracts to Ms Monica Leech.
The source said Mr Quigley was the only person who knew what the conclusion of the report would be and said that "anything else is just rumour or gossip".
It is understood Mr Quigley has asked officials in the OPW and Department of Environment to check the accuracy of financial figures and interview quotations in sections of the report.
Ms Leech, a Waterford-based public relations consultant, was awarded contracts by the OPW and the Department when they were under the direct control of Mr Cullen. The Minister has always denied any wrongdoing in relation to the contracts.
Ms Leech was engaged by the OPW in December 2001 when Mr Cullen was minister of state with responsibility for the office. She was paid €42,902 for work which continued until June 2003.
When Mr Cullen was appointed to the Cabinet in mid-2002 as minister for the environment, Ms Leech was engaged to provide PR advice to that Department at a rate of €800 a day on a three-day-week basis.
