The Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid, is to take legal advice on whether he can publish the report of an independent inquiry into the official handling of the Derry O'Rourke sex abuse case.
Rejecting suggestions that a judicial inquiry was required to get at the truth, Dr McDaid said yesterday that non-judicial inquiries into the Goldenbridge and Madonna House affairs had been effective.
There was a "moral compellability" on people to appear before the inquiry, if called, and to give evidence about what happened in relation to the O'Rourke abuses, the Minister said. "If people have nothing to hide, why not come forward and tell the truth?"
A non-judicial inquiry will not have the power to compel witnesses to give evidence or to order the discovery of documents. However, Dr McDaid insisted the proposed investigation would yield results. "Give this inquiry a chance. It is to establish the facts of what happened and how it [the abuse] could have gone on for so long. It must find out the truth as quickly as possible."
He said many people had complaints which must be heard. The truth must be established in the interests of credibility and in the interests of delivering "huge confidence-building measures" to the sport of swimming.
State funding for the Irish Amateur Swimming Association (IASA) amounted to £230,000 last year but the suspension of grant aid would not be lifted until he was "satisfied with the inquiry".
He said the chairperson of the inquiry must be acceptable to the victims and the victims' parents. The terms of reference must also have their support and they would be represented on a committee to monitor the progress of the inquiry.
No decision has been made on the choice of chairperson but the Minister has asked representatives of the victims and the IASA to bring forward proposals on how the investigation should proceed.