Health managers who received controversial salary top-ups are set to keep them.
The Attorney General has told the Government that voluntary hospitals and health agencies did not act outside the law when they made the payments to senior managers.
The story first came to light in 2013 - the most controversial case was at the Central Remedial Clinic where it emerged that some public donations were being used to top up salaries.
Industry Correspondent with the Irish Times Martin Wall says the A-G has advised that the contracts between the HSE and the hospitals did not make it clear that they could not pay more than the offical salary rates:
