Beleaguered TD Mr Liam Lawlor was dealt a further blow yesterday when he was forced to resign as vice-chairman of an Oireachtas committee.
Mr Lawlor's fate was sealed when the Progressive Democrat representative on the committee indicated he would vote no confidence in the Dublin West deputy.
Mr Lawlor has to wait until Monday to hear the outcome of High Court contempt proceedings against him over his alleged failure to co-operate with the Flood tribunal. If found guilty he could receive a prison sentence.
Mr Justice Smyth said yesterday he would rule on Monday after considering the matter, which was "of considerable gravity".
In his resignation speech to the Finance and Public Service Committee, the former Fianna Fail TD made allegations against the leaders of the two main Opposition parties and the Tanaiste.
He said Ms Harney, the Labour party leader Mr Ruairi Quinn, and the Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, should appear before the tribunal and explain matters relating to themselves.
Mr Lawlor asked whether Mr Bruton was aware of "an outrageous demand" from one of his party colleagues at a Fine Gael fundraising lunch at the Red Cow Inn in Co Dublin.
He invited Mr Quinn to make a full disclosure to the tribunal whether an architectural practice of which he was a partner, before being made minister for labour, benefited from any "insider ministerial information".
Mr Lawlor said the Tanaiste and her party should make full disclosure of all income stretching back over 20 years, and in particular when Ms Harney was serving on Dublin County Council.
The indication from the Progressive Democrats that their representative, Senator John Dardis, would support the Fine Gael motion of no confidence in Mr Lawlor ensured the vote of the 19-person committee would have been carried yesterday.
Fine Gael's Mr Michael Noonan said there had been unsubstantiated allegations and innuendo against those Mr Lawlor named. He said "a person who would make such a divisive, partisan contribution is not appropriate to be a chair or vice-chairman of an all-party committee".
Labour's Mr Derek McDowell said he did not want to leave an impression that Mr Lawlor had made new allegations against Mr Quinn which had to be investigated by the Flood tribunal. Mr Lawlor had made the allegations before and they had been refuted "utterly and in detail" by Mr Quinn.
Mr Dardis said last night that he welcomed Mr Lawlor's resignation but regretted that he had used the privilege of the committee to name other politicians.
The possibility of Mr Lawlor becoming the first person to be imprisoned in connection with a modern tribunal seemed less likely last night.
At end of the court hearing yesterday, counsel for the tribunal did not specifically call for his imprisonment. Instead, Mr Frank Clarke SC, for the tribunal, acknowledged that the court could take into account Mr Lawlor's "excuses" and his promise to provide more information, when passing sentence.
The tribunal has indicated it wants to question Mr Lawlor further about his financial and company affairs. This would be difficult if not impossible if the West Dublin TD were jailed.
Mr Clarke yesterday rejected the TD's claim that Mr Lawlor provided significant amounts of information to the tribunal. He also rejected the claim by Mr Lawlor that he "misinterpreted" the terms of the order made against him.