The Fennelly Commission is to produce an interim report that will cover the controversial retirement of former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.
The Commission under former Supreme Court judge Nial Fennelly sought an extension beyond its deadline of the end of the year.
But offered in the meantime an interim report that would outline the extent of the inquiry needed into the taping of phone conversations in garda stations and separately the circumstances surrounding the departure of Commissioner Callinan.
That offer has been accepted by Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the interim report is likely in the Spring.
The Government agreed the terms of reference for the Fennelly Commission in April.
The main issues to be investigated are the operation of telephone recording systems to record calls other than 999 calls at a large number of garda stations over many years.
Whether these recordings "disclose any evidence of unlawful or improper conduct by members of An Garda Síochána in connection with that investigation" will then be investigated.
The sequence of events leading up to the resignation of Martin Callinan was also being examined.
This includes the letter dated 10 March sent by Mr Callinan to the Department of Justice.
Mr Callinan resigned as Garda Commissioner on 25 March.
When the terms of reference were announced the Irish Council for Civil Liberties expressed its disappointment at what it called the narrowness of the terms.
