The Minister of State, Mr Ned O'Keeffe, may be asked to consider his position following the decision by the Public Offices Commission to begin an investigation for an alleged breach of the Ethics in Public Office Act.
Last night Government sources expressed serious concern following the announcement of the inquiry, the first such to be conducted into a member of the Government.
The commission's statement "speaks for itself", a Government spokesman told The Irish Times, but he said the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, had no comment to make other than that.
The commission, which met yesterday evening, said it considered it was appropriate to carry out an investigation under the Act to determine if MrO'Keeffe, Minister of State for Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, contravened certain sections of the legislation
Mr O'Keeffe voted against a Labour Party private members' motion on November 30th last calling for a ban on the feeding of meat-and-bone meal to all animals. However, Labour says he should have declared in advance that his family farm has a meat-and-bone meal licence, and that he therefore had a material interest in the vote. The Ethics in Public Office Act requires that such a material interest be declared to the Public Offices Commission in advance of any vote.
The commission also said it wished to make it perfectly clear the decision to carry out an investigation was not to be construed as meaning a provision of the Act had been contravened by the Minister.
"The purpose of the investigation is to establish the facts of the matter. On completion of the investigation, a report will be furnished by the commission," said the statement.
In the Dail on Wednesday, the Labour Party leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, said the Taoiseach was waiting for Mr O'Keeffe "to fall on his sword like Deputy Lawlor, Deputy Foley and the others".
However, Mr Ahern said that while he had a political responsibility, people were entitled to due process under the Act.
"The member in question is complying with the Public Offices Commission," he said.
Mr Ahern has stated recently that the position of Ministers of State is "under review". These comments and his refusal to express confidence in Mr O'Keeffe have been interpreted as indicating that Mr O'Keeffe may be removed from his post at the Department of Agriculture to another such position or to the backbenches.
Last night a spokesman for the Labour Party said they would await the outcome of the investigation.
The commission is to carry out its investigation into contraventions of the Ethics in Public Office Act relating to Dail members and office holders. Mr O'Keeffe's legal team has been exchanging letters with the commission since before Christmas.