The director of telecommunications regulation, Ms Etain Doyle, has been strongly criticised by members of a Dail committee for refusing to come before them to answer questions.
Members of the Joint Committee on Public Enterprise and Transport said Ms Doyle's decision was "arrogant", "impertinent" and "appalling", with some members saying if she does not reverse the decision she should resign.
Ms Doyle, whose office oversees the mobile phone sector and the regulation of multi-channel television services, said she chose not to appear before the committee because her office is fully independent.
Ms Doyle also claims legal proceedings between the MMDS licensee, Princes Holdings, partly controlled by Independent Newspapers, and the State, means she is not in "a position to make public comments".
The refusal of Ms Doyle to appear before the committee opens up the question of who exactly the State's regulators are accountable to. The committee is expected to request a meeting with Ms Doyle and bring to her attention the "strength of feeling of members" about her decision.
The committee chairman, Fianna Fail's Mr Sean Doherty, plans to take up the issue with the Dail Committee on Procedures and Privileges.
In a short letter to the committee, Ms Doyle said: "It is particularly important I recognise the integrity of the office in the context of the director's duties in the regulation of multi-channel television."
She added that she must carry out these duties in an "actually and apparently independent way and consistent with my statutory responsibilities".
The contents of Ms Doyle's letter were attacked by all members of the committee.
"I am utterly appalled by her reply, if she is not accountable to the Oireachtas, then who is she accountable to?" said Fine Gael's spokesman on Public Enterprise, Mr Ivan Yates, who also sits on the committee.
"She is thumbing her nose at the Dail, we cannot have this regulator floating out there in orbit, accountable to no one," said Labour Party TD, Mr Emmet Stagg.
Mr Yates said the majority of the questions he had tabled for the Minister for Public Enterprise, Ms O'Rourke, about MMDS and television deflectors systems were referred to Ms Doyle's office.
"Yet now we cannot get answers from the regulator either, despite the fact that her office was set up to bring accountability into this whole area," he said.
It is believed Ms O'Rourke, was "surprised" that Ms Doyle chose not to appear before the committee.
Ms O'Rourke's predecessor, Mr Alan Dukes, who appointed Ms Doyle, said her decision was "probably unwise", although he pointed out that she is not responsible for setting telecommunication policy.
A statement issued last night by Ms Doyle's office said she "appreciates fully the Oireachtas concerns about re-broadcasting issues which have proven so difficult to resolve over the years.
"Under the Telecommunications Act, 1996, the Director is due to make an annual report, including accounts, available to the Minister concerning the performance of her functions," the statement added.
