CORI throws weight behind partnership deal

THE prospects of the partnership agreement being accepted were boosted yesterday when a major religious group officially threw its weight behind the deal.

The CORI Justice Commission, the first of the community and voluntary pillar to accept the agreement, said Ireland’s poorest and most excluded people would be better off with the agreement. The remainder of the social partners are due to decide on whether to support or reject the deal before the end of next month.

Fr Sean Healy of CORI said they had a number of reservations about the terms of the deal, but vowed to ensure the Government honoured its commitments in the area of poverty, inequality and social exclusion.