The former Taoiseach, Mr Charles Haughey, is to return to Dublin today from New York, where it is reported he underwent a series of medical tests during the week.
It is understood that Mr Haughey (74) attended the Memorial Sloan Kettering Centre in Manhattan as an outpatient. The centre is a leading clinic for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
A close friend of the former Taoiseach told The Irish Times that Mr Haughey flew to New York last Saturday and is due back in Dublin today.
While in New York, he stayed with friends and was joined by his daughter, Eimear, and her husband, John Mulhern. Sources said his wife, Maureen, remained at home in Kinsealy.
A spokeswoman at the family home refused to comment on a report in yesterday's Irish Independent and on TV3 news that Mr Haughey had attended the Memorial Sloan Kettering Centre for a medical assessment.