John Delaney has told the Olympic Council of Ireland that he is stepping down from his role as OCI vice president. 

Delaney's decision to step down from the OCI comes of the back of a turbulent summer for the organisation which saw their President Pat Hickey arrested by Brazilian police in relation to alleged mis-selling of tickets for the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Hickey has temporarily stood aside as president of the OCI and while a statement from Delaney detailed his reasons for tendering his resignation, he again insisted that he no role or involvement in any ticketing arrangements for Rio.

The statement also claimed that Delaney was "never active in the day to day running of the OCI" and that he has "fully engaged and co-operated with investigations being carried out by Grant Thornton who were appointed to review ticketing arrangements and Deloitte, whose brief is to examine governance issues within the OCI."

Delaney also added that he would cooperate fully with a Government appointed enquiry into the OCI and their ticketing arrangements.

Acting President of the OCI Willie O'Brien confirmed that he had accepted Delaney's resignation and wished him well for the future.

A statement from O'Brien read: "This evening I accepted with regret the resignation of Mr John Delaney from his position as Vice President of the Olympic Council of Ireland.

"I would like to thank John for his hard work and dedication to the Irish Olympic movement in his time as a member of the Executive Committee and I wish him well for the future."

The 49-year-old Delaney has worked with the OCI since 2005 and up until as late as August, had been tipped to eventually take charge of the organisation.

Pat Hickey had recently backed Delaney to succeed him as OCI President.

John Delaney's statement in full:

I indicated some weeks back that I would be considering my position as the Football Association of IrelandI’s volunteer member of the OCI’s Executive Committee. Since then, I have been in discussions with the board of the FAI and many colleagues within the football family regarding my position within the OCI.

Having given the matter careful consideration, I have made the decision to step down as the FAI's volunteer member of the 13 person OCI committee board, with immediate effect.

The reasons for my decision are as follows:

1:  My Role as CEO of the FAI is my primary role and priority.  I have always been 100% committed to fulfilling my role, my obligations and duties in ensuring the growth and development of football in Ireland, which I will continue to do.

2:  As an Executive Committee member of the OCI, my role was never active in the day to day running of the OCI and as I mentioned previously, I was in a position to attend only 5 of the last 13 board meetings prior to the Rio Olympics. 

3: I had no role or involvement in the OCI's handling of ticketing arrangements for the RIO Olympic Games.

4: During my time as a member of the OCI Executive Committee I have always looked to the best interests of the Olympic movement, and in recent months I have worked extensively with the other OCI Committee members to ensure that all proper steps have been taken by the OCI, following the issues that arose in Rio. As part of this, I have fully engaged and co-operated with investigations being carried out by Grant Thornton who were appointed to review ticketing arrangements and Deloitte, whose brief is to examine governance issues within the OCI.  I will, of course, also provide all assistance sought by Mr. Justice Carroll Moran as part of the Government appointed enquiry. 

I am fully confident that in due course my position and non-involvement in these matters will be clarified and independently verified on completion of reports carried out by Grant Thornton or Justice Carroll Moran.

I wish the OCI executive and the Olympic movement, in this country, all the best into the future and I will always follow with interest their sporting achievements.