EC drops faith-based hiring case against state

THE European Commission has abandoned plans to take Ireland to the European Court of Justice to stop religious schools and hospitals employing staff based on their faith.

Speaking yesterday, European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso announced the case being prepared against Ireland under an employment directive had been dropped.

Earlier this year, the commission said it had taken exception to the practice of allowing religious schools and hospitals to rule out employing staff who conflicted with their ethos.