The Fianna Fáil national executive will tonight hear calls for the suspension from the executive of Mr Lorcan Allen, the former junior Minister who has admitted circulating bogus election literature purportedly signed by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern.
In its first meeting since senior party activists voted in May to expel Ms Beverly Flynn from Fianna Fáil, the executive will hear a report into the affair by the party's general secretary, Mr Seán Dorgan.
While Mr Allen has appeared increasingly isolated in the face of criticism from Mr Ahern and suggestions by the Tánaiste that the Garda should investigate the matter, anger at the use of the Taoiseach's signature is perceived by some in the party to have dissipated. Sources on the executive believe it should take strong action against Mr Allen, although the sanction of expulsion is considered unlikely.
Mr Dorgan and the Fianna Fáil national organiser, Mr Seán Sherwin, met on Tuesday night with the Gorey FF officer board to explain the findings of the party report. While some supporters of Mr Allen are said to have claimed that "far too much has been made of the affair", Mr Dorgan is said to have left the impression that members of the executive were very angry about the unsanctioned use of the Taoiseach's signature.
While Mr Allen was reported earlier to have denied any knowledge of the letters, he has claimed full responsibility for sending more than 2,000 letters in the run-up to the local election last month. Fianna Fáil supporters were urged to support Mr Allen over his running mate, Mr Pat Rath. In the event, Mr Allen was elected and Mr Rath failed to be elected.
Mr Rath, who was unhappy with the party's initial response to his affair, said yesterday that he was not prepared to make a Garda complaint about the incident. "I wouldn't like to do that. It wouldn't be in me to do something like that."
It is believed that the report into the affair will not identify who gave Mr Allen the pre-paid Oireachtas envelopes in which he sent the bogus letters to voters.
Complaints about the use by other local election candidates of the pre-paid envelopes will be the subject of an inquiry later this year.