Families of children abused by swimming coach Derry O'Rourke will discuss the proposed inquiry with their legal representatives today, but the indications are that its terms are not acceptable to them.
The families' legal representatives said last night the inquiry envisaged by the Minister was "not close to being acceptable" to the victims. Solicitor Ms Ann Marie McCrystal said: "We want a full judicial inquiry, with powers to compel the appearance of witnesses and full discovery of documents. What we don't want is an unnecessary lapse of time, resulting in a judicial inquiry at the end of the day, as happened with the hepatitis C tribunal."
In a separate development, the Irish Amateur Swimming Association's honorary secretary and public relations officer, Ms Celia Millane, has voluntarily stepped aside from both roles. All queries to the organisation are now being directed to a public relations company, Gibney Communications.
However, the woman who will become president of the association after its annual general meeting in April has pledged her full support to the inquiry, whatever form it takes.
Speaking before last night's meeting of the Leinster Swimming Association, Ms Mary O'Malley - currently Leinster secretary and senior vice-president of the IASA - said: "I have children in the sport myself, and my agenda is and always will be the interests of the swimmers."
Parents of abused victims and other campaigners have stressed the need for any inquiry to have sufficient powers. The mother of one of Derry O'Rourke's victims said yesterday that while the exact form of the inquiry remained a matter for experts, "we want something with teeth, that will force people to come forward". The experiences of parents at the hands of swimming officials had "made a mockery" of child welfare programmes like Stay Safe. "If parents are not believed when they make complaints, what chance has an 11-year-old?"
Mr Chalkie White, a former international swimmer who is acting as spokesman for the families in the George Gibney case, said only a sworn, judicial inquiry would be acceptable. "Unless witnesses are compelled to appear, it will be a total sham."
Ms Maire Cunningham, one of a group of parents of former swimmers at O'Rourke's club, said "someone has to be made accountable" by the inquiry.
Another parent at the club in which O'Rourke was coach expressed the hope that members who left in the mid-1980s might come forward with new information. "There are people who seemingly disappeared overnight at that time. We're hoping they'll come out now and screw these people to the wall."
He added that unless the inquiry had the power to compel appearance by witnesses, it would not get at the truth.
