Fine Gael's spokesman on public enterprise, Mr Ivan Yates, has called for the resignation of Ms Etain Doyle. In a statement issued yesterday, he said the recent High Court judgment against the Office of the Director of Telecommunications over the handling of the third mobile telephone licence "is so damning an indictment of Etain Doyle's office that her position is no longer tenable".

He said: "Ms Doyle must take responsibility for her office and her legal advisers.

"The High Court found unambiguously that she had misinterpreted section 111 of the Telecommunications Act 1983 and as amended in 1986."

The regulator has decided to appeal the decision before the Supreme Court.