All members on the board of the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) have resigned with immediate effect.

Their resignation follows the decision of the former chief executive, Brian Conlan, to quit his post earlier this week.

The resignation of the entire board of governors comes two days after a lengthy Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meeting discovered deliberate breaches of the public pay rules of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

In a statement, the clinic confirmed that the directors who also sat on the board of the fundraising arm of the CRC had also quit those roles.

Any of the directors who were also involved with its medical devices company have also stepped down.

It said "Members who were directors of Friends and Supporters of CRC, CRC Medical Devices or The Care Trust have also resigned these positions with immediate effect".

The statement continued "Following the resignation of the Board, the work of the dedicated staff and supporters of the Central Remedial Clinic to sustain, support, develop and protect the volume, quality and reliability of the services available to people with disabilities in Ireland deserves to continue as it has for more than six decades".

The resignation is a clear attempt to rebuild the reputation of the CRC following reports that donations to its annual Santa Bear appeal had plummeted this year, with boxes of unopened bears being returned.