The chief executive of the Irish Cancer Society (ICS) has decided to take a pay cut as part of the charity's efforts to provide financial assistance to the families of children with cancer.

Earlier this week, the ICS announced that it was closing its Financial Support Programme, which helps cancer patients who are facing financial hardship as a result of their diagnosis.

It said this was necessary as demand for support had become ‘too big to manage'. In 2015 alone, it provided €1.8 million to patients facing financial hardship.

However a day later, the ICS announced that it would continue to fund the families of children with cancer. It said it ‘deeply regretted' any upset the original announcement had caused for the more than 200 children and families affected by childhood cancer every year.

It pointed out that almost €200,000 would be needed to continue the children's fund, but that it would ‘work to find the savings necessary'.

Following on from this, the charity's chief executive, John McCormack, has said that he will take a salary cut of €10,000, from €145,000 to €135,000, effective from January 1, 2016.

This €10,000 will be made available immediately to the children's fund.

"I greatly regret that it has become necessary to close the Financial Support Programme for adults with cancer, and I sincerely apologise for the upset that this decision has caused, but considering that we are not funded by the State, and that we run a number of really important and free services for people with cancer, unfortunately it was necessary to do so," Mr McCormack explained.

He added that ‘now more than ever', the ICS needs the support of the public if it is to continue supplying essential free services to cancer patients, such as its night nursing service and its cancer helpline.

If you are concerned about cancer, you can speak to a specialist cancer nurse on the ICS's helpline at 1800 200 700. Calls are free of charge.