Four more agencies to face top-ups inquiry

Fresh enquiries are under way into suspected top-up payments at another four state-funded bodies as the investigation into bonuses for senior managers at voluntary hospitals and agencies is set to widen.

The claims emerged after the chief executive of the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC), Brian Conlon, yesterday resigned after just five months in the role amid public outrage that funds raised through charitable donations were used to top up the pay of at least nine CRC executives.

Mr Conlon himself never received any extra payments, but his predecessor Paul Kiely was paid €135,000 from privately donated funds on top of his state salary of €106,900.