An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, has predicted that the duty free ban that is due to come into force next June may be postponed.
EU leaders at their meeting in Vienna have agreed to conduct a three-month study into the employment costs of scraping the loophole, allowing the possibility of a short stay of execution.
This follows the development in Vienna last night, when Denmark eased its opposition to the move.
The Danes were one of the three countries insisting that duty free be abolished from next summer but during the talks they are reported to have agreed to accept a postponement.
