THE extended family of Monaghan-born businessman Mr Macky Moyna provides the investment force behind Indigo, the rapidly expanding Internet access provider.

Mr Moyna was a founder member of the SDLP and his Dublin home was at the centre of the controversial bugging of the deputy leader of the party, Mr Seamus Mallon, in 1984.

Mr Moyna (67) is chairman of Dome Industries, the private company which owns Indigo. The company has invested more than £1 million since it was established in mid-1995. It now has over 5,000 subscribers and is aiming for more than 50,000 within 18 months. The money was put up by Mr Moyna and members of his extended family in Ireland and the United States, according to the company

Mr Moyna's nephew, Mr David Moyna (29), is also on the board of Dome Industries. He was financial controller of the quoted cold storage company Norish until mid-1995 when he left to set up Indigo. Prior to joining Norish he trained as a chartered accountant with KPMG Stokes Kennedy Crowley in Dublin.

The third director of Dome Industries is Ms Tara Fay (27), a relation of the former leader of the Labour Party, Mr Frank Cluskey. Mr David Moyna and Ms Fay are the driving forces behind Indigo along with former Woodchester executive Mr Michael Branagan, who was head-hunted as managing director.

Mr Macky Moyna has interests in packaging and textiles. He is a director of Sure Seals, a Drumcondra based manufacturer of plastic bottle caps. A former Ulster footballer Mr Moyna is a close personal friend of Mr Mallon and the SDLP leader Mr John Hume, although he has taken no public role in Northern politics.

In 1984 it was revealed that bugging devices had been uncovered at Mr Moyna's house while Mr Mallon was staying there to attend the New Ireland Forum the previous November.

Another nephew of Mr Moyna Mr Donal Moyna, was charged with possession of explosive substances in 1984 and subsequently acquitted.

Indigo was launched at the end of November last year. The company aims to dominate the growing market for providing computer users with access to the Internet, the worldwide network linking computers.

The company has advertised widely since starting up in business, with a reported start-up advertising budget of £500,000. New subscribers are charged a flat fee of £30 as an incentive.

The company has also invested heavily in leased telephone lines in order to give its subscribers faster - access to the Internet.

Earlier this week, the company offered to take over the 1,100 subscribers of rival provider Internet Eireann, which has ceased trading.