The Tánaiste has ruled out a call for an independent inquiry into the salary top up scandal.

It comes after the Sinn Féin President called for the move in the Dáil in the wake of the admission by the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) it used charity funds to top up salaries.

It emerged last week that charitable funds raised by Friends and Supporters of the Central Remedial Clinic (CRC) were used to pay top ups to managers at the company.

Yesterday, the CRC said any top ups to wages came only from its lottery and not from its Santa Bear Appeal, flag days or any other fundraising activities.

Several ministers have also called for more clarity on the issue.

Gerry Adams also revealed that the coalition sanctioned a €195,000 salary for the boss of St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin in excess of the pay cap.

He suggested the government was running scared because it had itself broken the pay cap.

But Eamon Gilmore says the Health Service Executive (HSE) is up to the job of sorting out the salary top ups.