The Sligo-Leitrim Fianna Fail deputy Mr John Ellis is expected to have talks with ail party colleagues in the next few days on whether he should remain as chair man of the Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine, amid growing pressure on him to "step aside" or resign.
Reliable sources said the Fianna Fail leadership is increasingly concerned that the controversy surrounding Mr Ellis will damage the party. They say the leadership is reluctant to become involved, but is waiting to see if it causes further embarrassment to ail the party or the Government.
Some Fianna Fail TDs are understood to want Mr Ellis to "step aside" from his post until the controversy is resolved, and so defuse calls for his resignation. Fianna Fail members of the committee contacted yesterday declined to comment or said the decision was for Mr Ellis alone.
Fine Gael has called on Mr Ellis to resign his position as chairman. Yesterday its agriculture spokesman, Mr Paul Connaughton, said the party's committee members would take "appropriate action" if he does not. Labour's agriculture spokesman, Mr Willie Penrose, said there was real anger among farmers, but Mr Ellis should be given an opportunity "to consider the matter in the context of the degree of anger expressed by farmers".
The anger is over the revelation that Mr Ellis's debt of £243,500 to National Irish Bank was written off in 1989, when his failed abattoir business, Stanlow Trading, did not honour substantial debts to farmers. Mr Ellis said last week he believed the write-off followed political representations to the bank on his behalf, but no firm evidence of this has emerged.
Mr Ellis is also involved in the controversy over the appointment of Ireland's new honorary consul to Pakistan. Mr Ellis made representations on behalf of Mr Haseeb Ahsan, who was nominated by the Government and whose nomination is being considered by the Pakistani government.
However, the Progressive Democrats have raised concerns with their Government partners about the nomination. The Tanaiste's programme manager, Ms Katherine Bulbulia, had made representations on behalf of another candidate for the position.
Mr Ellis apologised on Thursday to farmers who lost money as a result of his business collapse, while attacking the "Dublin media campaign" of "character assassination" against him. He said he was not legally obliged to pay the farmers in question, but he accepted he had a moral responsibility to do so. However, he said, he did not have the means.
Two Fine Gael members of the committee, Mr Paul Connaughton and Mr Michael Finucane, met Mr Ellis last Wednesday to tell him they thought he should resign his position as chairman of the committee.
Next Wednesday five members of the committee will travel to Chicago for a one-week visit to the 1999 Worldwide Food Expo. Mr Ellis is not among those going, and in line with usual practice, the Leinster House press office would not divulge the names of those going on the trip.