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 Irish Times reports.

The controversy over top-up payments to health managers arose in 2013.

It emerged that 274 unauthorised payments were being made to 222 employees at voluntary hospitals and agencies such as the Rotunda Hospital, the National Maternity Hospital and the Children's Hospital in Crumlin.

They included private health insurance cover, motor allowances and extra duty allowances.

It also emerged that some public donations were being used to top up salaries at the Central Remedial Clinic.

The Irish Times reports that the HSE and the Department of Health will try to draw a line under the controversy this week.

The Attorney General has told the Government that the payments were not outside the law - as the contracts between the HSE and the hospitals did not make it clear that they could not pay more than the official salary rates.

It means most of the executives will be able to keep the payments, totalling €3.2 million.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar says only health managers working in voluntary hospitals and charities can retain their top-ups:

Industry Correspondent with the Irish Times Martin Wall spoke to Newstalk Breakfast about the latest developments, saying it has been exactly two years since the story about the top-ups broke: