Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and two of his predecessors, John Bruton and Albert Reynolds, are to be called to give evidence before the Mahon tribunal in the new year.
The tribunal announced yesterday that it proposes to restart hearings on January 16th into the rezoning of lands at Quarryvale in west Dublin in the early 1990s that allowed for the development of the Liffey Valley shopping centre.
The tribunal's investigation into Quarryvale, which is expected to be one of its largest, has been delayed for nearly a year as a result of a court challenge brought by Cork developer Owen O'Callaghan.
The High Court last month rejected the challenge by Mr O'Callaghan.
A Supreme Court appeal has been lodged in the case.
However, it is expected that this will be completed by early January.
In an opening statement at the start of its investigations into Quarryvale last year, which was read out prior to the court challenge, the tribunal said that developer Tom Gilmartin had claimed that Mr O'Callaghan had informed him that nearly £80,000 had been paid to Mr Ahern.
Mr Gilmartin said that he was told that the money had been paid in two separate amounts, of £50,000 and £30,000.
Mr Gilmartin said that he was informed that Mr Ahern had been instrumental in blocking a tax break for a rival shopping centre being developed in Blanchardstown.
Mr Ahern and Mr O'Callaghan have strongly denied this allegation.
Mr Ahern reminded the tribunal that he had successfully taken a libel action in relation to earlier claims that he had received money on behalf of Mr O'Callaghan.
In its opening statement last year, the tribunal also maintained that there were also allegations that corrupt payments had been made to 14 Dublin county councillors.
The lobbyist Frank Dunlop has said that he paid £232,000 to councillors.
An analysis of his bank account showed a huge increase in withdrawals around the times of the Dublin County Council votes in relation to Quarryvale in 1991 and 1992.
