The Government is set to make some changes to its controversial plans to curtail the Freedom of Information Act.
The Taoiseach and the Government Chief Whip said yesterday they were open to amendments. While some changes are now seen as probable, it is not known whether these will be substantive or merely technical.
The Government's Bill is expected to pass all stages in the Seanad today. Amendments are likely to emerge during the Dáil debate, which is expected to begin in a fortnight.
Indications that amendments may be on the way came last night on the eve of a day-long Oireachtas committee hearing on the Government plans.
As the Opposition continued its attack on the changes in the Dáil yesterday, the biggest trade union in the Civil Service called for the plan to be abandoned.
The Civil and Public Service Union, which has 13,000 members, said the changes would "substantially" limit scrutiny of the Government and the public service.
The Government is considered likely to make some technical changes to deal with points raised by the Information Commissioner, Mr Kevin Murphy, in a commentary published two days ago.
It is not known whether Ministers will consider rowing back on the substantive changes such as the mandatory exemption on communications between Ministers. The Taoiseach said in the Dáil that the Department of Finance would next week examine the points raised by Mr Murphy in his commentary on the aspects of the Act the Government wants to change.
The Government Chief Whip, Ms Mary Hanafin, told reporters that "the Government is always open to good ideas".
The Oireachtas Joint Committee of Finance and Public Service meets today to hear a submission from the group of five senior civil servants whose review of the Act was behind many of the changes now sought by the Government.
However, it was learned last night that the secretary general to the Government, Mr Dermot McCarthy, has already informed the committee that the civil servants will be unable to question or express any opinion on the merits of the Government's plans.
The committee chairman, Fianna Fáil TD, Mr Sean Fleming, said he had "no preconceived notion" of the outcome he wanted from the meeting.
When asked whether the committee might draw up a report on the hearings, he said: "I want to hear what's said."
However, Fine Gael's finance spokesman, Mr Richard Bruton, doubted that the committee could formulate a report critical of the Government because consensus would be very difficult to achieve.