The Dáil Public Accounts Committee is not to call before it a civil servant who has made allegations of tax evasion against a number of former senior politicians.

The civil servant, Gerry Ryan, had sent members of the committee a dossier several weeks ago setting out the allegations.

He sent a letter to the committee in recent days offering to appear before it in private session.

However strong legal advice to the committee was that he should not be allowed to appear as the issues fell outside its remit.

After a lengthy discussion in private session on Thursday, the committee decided not to call Mr Ryan to give evidence.