The Chairman of the Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport has said the committee has decided not to call FAI Chief Executive John Delaney before it to explain the €5 million FIFA payment in 2010.
Speaking on RTÉ's News at One, Fine Gael Deputy John O'Mahony said the committee had received procedural advice that the matter was outside its remit.
He said there was a long discussion with all members of the committee on the matter, adding that while they do have remit over policy issues, this was not a policy issue.
Mr O'Mahony said he was in contact with Mr Delaney before today's meeting, but they had not discussed whether or not he should be called before the Committee.
He said this was never going to be a witch hunt of Mr Delaney or the FAI, nor was it going to be a protection of Mr Delaney or the FAI.
When asked if he thought it was improper that Mr Delaney had reportedly contacted members of the committee about his possible appearance before it, Mr O'Mahony said he was not aware that it had happened, but if those reports were correct, then he said it was something he felt "should not have happened."
Mr O'Mahony said a vote was taken on the matter and based on what had been said during discussions, it was his interpretation as committee chairperson that the view of the vast majority of members was not to invite Mr Delaney before it.
Earlier, the FAI reportedly told the committee the €5m it received from FIFA gave it a greater ability to fund the game in areas of the country that would not otherwise have benefited.
In a letter to the committee, Mr Delaney said the transaction has been fully accounted for in its financial statements.
The letter, also signed by the association's President Tony Fitzgerald, says the money was invested entirely in the Stadium project.
The correspondence says this then gave the FAI a greater ability to fund areas of the game all over the country that may not otherwise have benefited.
Separately, the FAI wrote that it had no business dealings with a former company called FIFA Ireland Limited.
The company, which had an office at the IFSC, was formed in 2001 and wound up in 2008.
Any questions the Oireachtas committee might have about that company would have to be addressed to FIFA, Mr Delaney wrote.
Last week, it was confirmed that FIFA paid €5m to the FAI in January 2010 in order to stop any legal action over the Thierry Henry handball incident.
FIFA said the money was "a loan", which was intended to be paid back if Ireland qualified for World Cup 2014. The loan was subsequently written off.
