Princes Holdings Ltd, a company in which the Independent Group has a 50 per cent shareholding and which won MMDS licences from Mr Ray Burke in 1989, has failed to appear before a Joint Oireachtas Committee.
The company's absence from yesterday's meeting of the Joint Committee on Heritage and the Irish Language provoked strong criticism from TDs and led the committee chairman, Mr Donal Carey, to write a "very strong letter" to the firm.
The first indication that Princes Holdings would not appear at yesterday's meeting came at 5.30 p.m. on Tuesday when the company rang the committee chairman, Mr Padraig Allen, to say one of its directors was abroad and representatives would not be attending.
Princes Holdings is seeking to be allowed to transmit new digital television services by the MMDS system when these become available.
All television broadcasters are awaiting a Government decision on how digital television will be transmitted in Ireland.
Britain is expected to have digital television, which provides a multiplicity of channels, by the end of this year. Meanwhile, RTE is seeking Government approval to allow it to seek a strategic partner so it can develop so-called terrestrial digital television which would make 30 channels available nationwide.
Expressing annoyance yesterday at Princes Holdings' failure to appear before his committee, and the short notice provided, Mr Carey said that particular technical questions were to be put to Princes Holdings.
Saying he was deeply disappointed at the company's failure to attend, Mr Enda Kenny of Fine Gael added that he regarded the absence as an insult to the committee.
He had intended to pose a series of questions to Princes Holdings about the circumstances in which the company had won MMDS licences from Mr Burke.
Mr Eamon Gilmore of Democratic Left said he wanted to concentrate on Princes Holdings' interest in digital television.
In a written submission circulated to committee members last week, Princes Holdings said it wished to take a leading role in providing advanced and affordable communications services throughout Ireland.