The Leinster branch of the Irish Amateur Swimming Association said last night that it would "cooperate fully" with the independent inquiry into the association's handling of the Derry O'Rourke sexual abuse case.
Senior officials gave the undertaking in a brief statement following a meeting in a Dublin hotel, but refused to make any comment on the O'Rourke case or on the matters they had discussed.
The specially convened meeting of the executive committee took place in a private room and journalists were not admitted.
The statement was read to reporters by the president of the Leinster branch, Mr Harry Kavanagh, 3 1/2 hours after the session began at the Ashling Hotel. Members of the branch would not answer any questions after the issuing of the statement, he said.
"The Leinster branch of the Irish Amateur Swimming Association will co-operate fully with the independent inquiry arranged by the IASA as advised by the Minister for Sport, Dr Jim McDaid," the statement read.
Earlier, one of the committee members, Mrs Barbara Claxton, refused to comment on the matters due to be discussed, as she arrived at the meeting.
However, Mrs Mary O'Malley, secretary of the Leinster branch, said the executive committee meeting had been specially convened and that a number of matters would be dealt with.
After the meeting, Mrs O'Malley stated that she "deplored any form of child abuse and couldn't condone it in any way".
Mr Chalkie White, a former Leinster branch executive member, strongly criticised the branch's response and described it as "an insult" to the victims of Derry O'Rourke.
"It doesn't surprise me, because it would be consistent with the way they have behaved in the past." Mr White said he wanted to see a complete restructuring of the IASA and a clearing out of officials who had failed to act upon allegations of sex abuse in the past.
A spokeswoman for the IASA said last night that it was making every effort to set up the independent inquiry suggested by the Minister for Sport and wanted the full truth of what had happened in the O'Rourke case to emerge.