Pressure to remove the caretaker European Commissioners, and particularly the President, Mr Jacques Santer, mounted last night as the German EU Presidency took soundings from member-states on how to defuse the crisis.
The appointment of a "transition" president to lead and reform a new commission for the remaining seven months of the year looks increasingly likely, diplomatic sources say.
The names of the British Trade Commissioner, Sir Leon Brittan, and the Belgian Competition Commissioner, Mr Karel van Miert, are most often mentioned for the role.
Several current "uncontaminated" members of the Commission are also expected to be re-appointed to the team, although not Mr Padraig Flynn, despite his clean bill of health from the parliamentary report.
Meanwhile, in Washington the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said the Cabinet would decide next Tuesday whether Mr Flynn would be re-appointed as Ireland's EU Commissioner.
Mr Ahern was at pains to give what he described as "the factual position" relating to Mr Flynn's "absolutely unblemished record in his role as a Commissioner" which was separate from "the outstanding matter" of his "domestic position".
Asked if he would be re-appointing Mr Flynn, the Taoiseach responded: "We will wait to see what happens. The issue of reappointment will be discussed next week when the position is clear. Then we will discuss that at the Government before I go to Berlin. We will deal with that matter then".
The German Chancellor, Mr Gerhard Schroder, on a tour of capitals which will bring him to Dublin on Friday, gave no promises to the beleaguered Commissioners. His priority was clear. "I want to, and have to, ensure that Agenda 2000 is concluded in Berlin," he told a news conference in Brussels.
Later he suggested that if agreement could not be reached in Berlin on a new Commission a special informal EU summit could be called soon afterwards to resolve the issue.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Andrews, said yesterday that the issue should be dealt with urgently before next week's Berlin summit.
The British were blunter. "The President of the Commission should leave as soon as reasonably and practically possible and a new president should take his place," the British Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, told the Commons.
The President of the European Parliament, Mr Jose Maria Gil-Robles, speaking on behalf of all the parties, called for a speedy appointment of a new commission.
"They must leave now and not in nine months' time," he told a news conference.
Earlier, Mr Santer had faced a press conference to explain that, although the Commission was resigning, it did not accept the conclusions of the report of the "wise men" established by the parliament.
That had alleged mal-administration and nepotism in the Commission and an unwillingness on the part of Commissioners to take responsibility for their actions.
Mr Santer later met the German President of the European Council and Chancellor, Mr Schroder, who formally asked the Commission to continue in a caretaker role until they could be replaced. Mr Schroder did not, however, make clear how long that would be beyond the next month, and the issue is likely now to be decided at the summit.
The Taoiseach said in Washington last night, according to RTE, that it was increasingly unlikely that Mr Santer would be re-appointed President of The European Commission.
Today's London Times and Daily Telegraph report an agreement between Mr Blair and Mr Schroeder calling for a "political heavyweight" to take over swiftly from Mr Santer.