The investigation into the 1974 Dublin/Monaghan bombings, which will be presented today to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, by Mr Justice Barron, may not be published for a number of weeks.
Mr Ahern will receive the 250-page report from Mr Justice Barron this evening, after which it will be studied "for a very short number of weeks" by the Attorney General, Mr Rory Brady.
The report was due to have been published a year ago, but the investigation was frequently hampered by the length of time it took the British government to produce papers requested by the judge.
The report will be put before the Oireachtas Justice Committee once the AG has satisfied himself that it does not include references that could put individuals at risk.
"It would be the Government's desire to publish the report to the fullest extent possible. It is very difficult to say given that we don't know what is in the report," a Department of the Taoiseach official said last night.
"It may be that there are no such issues contained in the report, given that time has moved on so far. It may be possible to publish it with very few, if any redactions," he said.
Fianna Fail Dublin North West TD, Mr Pat Carey called on the Taoiseach to study the long-overdue Barron report "with passion and pursue its findings with vigour".
"I hope it will answer the many unanswered questions that have haunted the families of victims for almost three decades," said Mr Carey, who has worked closely with the Justice for the Forgotten group.
Thirty three people died when a series of car bombs went off in Dublin and Monaghan. No one was ever prosecuted, or even charged in connection with the atrocities.
