The fifth and final bishop noted in a report about the failure of the Irish Catholic Church to address child abuse allegations is resisting repeated calls for his resignation.

Challenging the notion that he should resign because of "guilt by association" Bishop of Galway Dr. Martin Drennan has said that he is "strong in his belief that he did nothing wrong" the Irish Times reported.

Victims and support groups have been angered at Drennan's resolve, which has also put pressure on Archbishop of Dublin Diarmand Martin who previously announced that he will pursue the resignation of all clergy involved in the scandal.

Maeve Lewis, chief executive of victim support group One in Four, told the Irish Times that Drennan's resistance will be, "immeasurably damaging to both survivors and the Catholic Church if this process is dragged out indefinitely."

"We call on all concerned to provide real moral leadership by finding the courage to acknowledge responsibility for their actions and inactions and to resign immediately," she said.

Nearly 30-years of unreported child abuse incidents were disclosed in an inquiry known as the Murphy report, which was published in November. Four active bishops mentioned in the report resigned earlier in December, two of them, Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field, on Christmas Eve.

A joint statement of apology written by the two bishops said, "It is our hope that our action may help to bring the peace and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to the victims/survivors of child sexual abuse. We again apologise to them."

"Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have so bravely spoken out and those who continue to suffer in silence."