CORI issues damning report on Government budgets

The Conference of Religious of Ireland today releases a damning report on the Government's budgetary policies.

The CORI Justice Commission says that in a time of prosperity the widening gap between rich and poor is one of Ireland's greatest scandals.

The Commission is urging the Government to tailor its December budget to provide all with a sufficient income to live with dignity.

Fr Sean Healy, director of the CORI Justice Commission said: "They should set a target to have the lowest social welfare rate set at 30% of average industrial earnings.

"And the second thing I would ask the Government to do in this coming budget, which is due on the first week of December, that they should raise the lowest social welfare rate for a single person by £14 a week and for a couple by £24 a week."