The Irish Cancer Society has partly reversed its decision to stop financial support for cancer patients.

It says support for the families of children with cancer will continue.

Yesterday, the charity said it would have to stop paying the grants to patients because it no longer had the resources to do so.

But in a statement today it says: "This fund for children will now be maintained and the financial support for families of children with cancer will now continue".

"We deeply regret and apologise for the upset which our decision has caused and we hope that this announcement that we are restoring financial support for the more than 200 children and families affected by cancer every year will ease that hurt".

The group says almost €200,000 will be needed this year to continue the fund.

It adds that it will now work to find the savings necessary to ensure that it is maintained.

The society says it has already made significant cuts in expenditure - including cutting staff costs.

"This includes not covering maternity leaves, the non-filling of a number of vacancies and a small number of staff redundancies".

"We need the public to support us now more than ever. As a charity, we are trying to do the best we can with the money which the public generously give us", it adds.

It says that since the economic crash of 2008, demand for the financial support programme has grown - with €1.8m given to patients last year.