In a letter to parish priests, Bishop Magee blamed the extensive amount of paperwork required by the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation into child protection practices in the diocese for his decision.

However, parents’ representatives said the bishop received at least five requests from parents’ associations not to confirm their children.

Writing to all parishes where confirmations are due to take place this year, the bishop said he had given assurances he would "give every possible co-operation to the commission in carrying out its task" when the Government asked the commission to carry out the investigation.

"It has since become clear to me that in order to focus on the volume of work pertaining to this investigation, regretfully it would not be possible for me to do this and administer the confirmations in the diocese this year. Accordingly, I have asked the vicars forane of each deanery to celebrate confirmation in the parishes of that deanery and granted them the necessary faculties," he wrote.

Bishop Magee was under huge pressure to resign earlier this year when it emerged that he had taken minimal action in relation to five credible child protection complaints and that any action taken by him was delayed.

The actions of the bishop and diocese put more children at risk of clerical sex abuse, a report by the Catholic Church’s National Board for Safeguarding Children found.