The head of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport has said the Football Association of Ireland did not adequately answer the committee's questions regarding safeguarding issues.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime, Alan Kelly TD said the FAI questioning the intentions of the committee was "bizarre".
"The invitation and the scope of the invitation? What we were asking questions on never changed from the original invitation, so I don't know how it could be contradictory," he said.
"I think the committee decided on their witnesses, they added some witnesses, and it looks like, if you're reading between the lines, that when additional witnesses were added, that's when, all of a sudden, there was a very serious concern in relation to this.
"But ultimately the FAI, we all know the history, the FAI has been bailed out by the taxpayer.
"The FAI is totally dependent on the Government, is totally dependent on that and they have to come before an Oireachtas committee to answer questions.
"And even if they were never bailed out by anyone, these are safeguarding the safeguarding of adults, safeguarding of children. These are serious issues."
Deputy Kelly added that the FAI will be invited back again in the future because they have not sufficiently answered the committee’s questions.
Earlier, he had also criticised FAI executives for the delay in coming before politicians, having been invited last July, as a committee meeting began at Leinster House.
Deputy Kelly praised the work of RTÉ and the Irish Independent examining inappropriate contact with female players in the 1990s and said it was "troubling" that the FAI sought to cancel their meeting when new invitations were issued to other FAI members.
He said a piece of correspondence from An Garda Síochána was also troubling which said it was preferable if issues under investigation would be concluded before any meetings of the committee take place.
Deputy Kelly said no committees would sit if they had to operate by that rule of thumb and said he would be writing to the Garda Commissioner to ask him to explain the intervention and what was meant by that.
He said it was also concerning that the FAI, while it reconsidered its appearance before the committee, did not bring the individuals requested.
Former Ireland women's team manager Eileen Gleeson, along with media officer Gareth Maher, were invited to attend the committee but the FAI did not include them in their delegation.
Deputy Kelly said it was "very regrettable that these people have not been included today".
He said he hoped for positive engagement today, and said he expected further meetings into the future.
Mr Kelly said he was contacted by the chairperson of the FAI during the week looking for a private conversation, and said he was also contacted by Robert Watt, who is a director of the FAI, but he was unavailable.
He said he was making the information public for the sake of transparency.
The FAI in turn has told the committee that no disrespect was intended when they attempted to defer their appearance at Leinster House.
In their opening statement, FAI chief executive David Courell acknowledged the uncertainty over their appearance after they withdrew last Friday citing concerns that questioning from the committee might prejudice a garda investigation into alleged mistreatment of female footballers by male coaches.
The FAI told the committee that no disrespect was intended when they withdrew from appearing before them but that their action was borne out of a genuine concern regarding contradictory messaging about the scope of the hearing.
The invite was initially sent in July, when the FAI first sought a deferral. Their latest request for deferral came last Friday.
Following an intervention by Minister for Sport Patrick O'Donovan, who warned that non attendance was not an option for an association that receives a significant amount of taxpayers' money, the board of the FAI reconsidered its position.
In an opening statement to the committee this afternoon, Courell stressed that safeguarding is a key priority for the association and that they are committed to making football safe, inclusive and enjoyable for all.
Additional reporting: Tony O'Donoghue
