The man appointed by the Government to investigate the Irish Amateur Swimming Association (IASA) said last night that his involvement in swimming would not affect his independence.
Dr Roderick Murphy SC said he knew some of the people involved in the controversy. "I hope that they will come to me and, hopefully, we will be able to agree terms of reference", he said.
Dr Murphy is a member of the Glenalbyn swimming club in south Dublin, one of the State's largest. His family has membership and his children have been swimming at the club for 10 years.
A Government spokesman said last night Dr Murphy was appointed "because of his knowledge and understanding of the swimming world and would be better able to use that knowledge sensitively".
Dr Murphy said he had explained his involvement with Glenalbyn to the Minister for Sport, Dr McDaid.
Dr Murphy's inquiry into the abuse of young swimmers is to begin immediately in spite of some victims' claims that they will not co-operate with the investigation in its present form.
Following two hours of Cabinet discussion on the matter yesterday, Dr McDaid announced that Dr Murphy would investigate "certain matters relating to the affairs of the Irish Amateur Swimming Association (IASA), its Leinster branch and affiliated clubs".
Dr Murphy, who is to report to the Minister by March 10th, has been asked, "subject to the need to preserve the confidentiality of victims", to make his findings public. It will be at the lawyer's discretion as to how other persons involved in the investigation are identified. However, he will conduct his inquiry in private, with no media presence.
Denying that he had "changed his mind" about holding a judicial inquiry, Dr McDaid said his decision last week to have an independent inquiry had been reinforced in recent days by the fact that victims and families had come forward saying they did not want a sworn investigation.
Dr McDaid said if a judicial inquiry was launched now "endless inquiries" could follow, given the extent of child abuse in the country.
The lawyer representing some of the victims, Mr David Coleman, said he was "bitterly disappointed" with the new inquiry. His clients would have nothing to do with it.
The IASA said it would require all members of the association to co-operate fully with the inquiry.
The association's objective was to "strengthen our structures and procedures so as to restore public faith and confidence in the sport".
As a lawyer Dr Murphy has specialised in arbitration. He is chairman of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in Ireland, which promotes arbitration as a means of resolving disputes.
He appeared for Mr Padraig Collery at the tribunal of inquiry into payments made to Mr Charles Haughey and Mr Michael Lowry.
Dr Murphy, who is from Dublin, was called to the Bar in 1971 and became a senior counsel in 1991.