THE directors of Bord na Mona are on stand by to meet again today to vote on the future of managing director, Dr Eddie O'Connor. However, sources say a settlement could be reached this morning which, would remove the need for a board vote.

A motion of no confidence in Dr O'Connor was tabled at a board meeting yesterday.

But some directors argued that the board should await the response of the Minister for Energy, Mr Lowry, to the conclusions of the meeting before voting on the managing director's position.

Early this morning, Dr O'Connor claimed he was the subject of "the most sustained and vindictive attack on my reputation which had at its heart the suggestion that I had in some way behaved dishonestly".

It has also emerged that the Revenue Commissioners have again visited Bord na Mona to enquire into the company and some of the issues raised in the Price Waterhouse report on Dr O'Connor's pay.

In the letter to the Minister, in response to 13 questions which he had set them, all its members, apart from Dr O'Connor, agreed his remuneration package had "unequivocally" breached Government guidelines, according to chairman Mr Pat Dineen.

The response to the detailed questions was faxed to Mr Lowry's office last night, he said.

Early yesterday, there are understood to have been initial discussions between representatives of Dr O'Connor and the Department of Transport, Energy and Communications on the possibility of a settlement package. Some sources believe there will be further contacts ahead of today's meeting to try to agree a settlement.

However, early this morning Dr O'Connor said that the board was now being put under "intolerable pressure to find reasons why I should be dismissed".

He said. "The only agenda being played out here is the removal of the managing director.

"When the new chairman was appointed he informed me that his instructions were to cut the overhead by 50 per cent, to get Bored na Mona back to the basics of producing turf and that the company was to be discouraged from further diversification. I challenged that.

"Months later the chairman attempted to introduce a finance subcommittee of the board from which I and all members of management were to be excluded. I challenged that too."

Last night board members indicated that they expect to meet again today to vote on the motion, which is understood to have been tabled by director Mr Gerard Callanan, a company managing director and seconded by Mr Sean Burke, an accountant. It is understood that at least four other directors have indicated that they will support the motion.

The 12 person board is split on the issue and the chairman's casting vote may be crucial.

Some of the employee directors are undecided on which way to vote or whether to abstain.

After another marathon meeting yesterday, the board of the company agreed responses to the 13 questions put forward by Mr Lowry.

In what is understood to have been an arduous meeting, Dr O'Connor, supported by some of the employee directors, is understood to have argued against the other directors. Eventually a consensus was reached by them all, except for Dr O'Connor.

The Minister had put questions to the board after a 131/2 hour board meeting on Monday could only conclude that Dr O'Connor's pg "appeared" to have breached Government guidelines.

The questions related to Dr O'Connor's package, the internal financial controls of Bord na Mona and the role of the board in monitoring his remuneration arrangements.

Dr O'Connor has claimed all along that his package did not breach guidelines and was fully agreed by the former chairman, Mr Brendan Halligan.

He has said that leaks about his package to the media have damaged him.

. The members of the board are:

Mr Pat Dineen, chairman Dr Eddie O'Connor, managing director Mr Sean Burke, accountant Mr Gerard Callanan, managing director, Atlantic Container Agencies Ms Anne Counihan, head of legal affairs at the NTMA Mr James Coyle, farmer Mr Bruno Coughlan, former employee Ms Carmel Foley, chief executive of the Employment Equality Agency Mr P.J. Minogue, employee director Mr Pat McEvoy, employee director Mr Mark Nugent, employee director and Mr Patrick Walsh, employee director.