asked the Minister for Defence if he will co-operate with Kildare County Council to provide houses for overholders in the county; and if he will arrange adequate financial provision to deal with this problem in the near future.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Kildare Houses.
10.
The provision of houses for former members of the Permanent Defence Force who are overholding married quarters is a matter for the local authorities concerned. I understand that an overholder who is in need of rehousing and is unable to provide such accommodation from his own resources will be considered by the appropriate housing authority for rehousing in accordance with the approved scheme of letting priorities.
In the past few years Kildare County Council have allocated 11 houses to persons overholding married quarters and I would like to express my appreciation to the council.
The future seems to be as hazy as the past. The Minister is aware that Kildare County Council have allowed him to allocate tenants to 11 houses in the past few years but is he aware that the houses were built out of our own allocation? We have a few applications for every house built and there is resentment and disappointment among needy applicants because if these houses had not been given to Army overholders there would be more houses to go around. We have asked the Minister for Local Government for an extra allocation to operate this scheme but he has not granted it. Would the Minister have a chat with him to try to get us an extra allocation for this purpose? Our wish is to remove overholders from Army married quarters and surely we are entitled to get an extra allocation of money in the next few years in order to terminate the problem?
I have no responsibility for the housing of former members of the Defence Forces. The Deputy must realise that it would not be proper for the Department of Defence to take responsibility for the provision of housing for former serving members. The right people to do this are the local housing authority. The allocation of money for housing is a matter for the Minister for Local Government. I have expressed my appreciation of the efforts of Kildare County Council in this matter.
Would the Minister agree his attitude is like that of the person who sends an old working dog to the kennels when it is finished? Those men have served their country well but we have had no satisfaction from any Department in our efforts to help them. Any houses allocated to them have been at the expense of other needy applicants in the county.
I have every sympathy for those people but the Deputy must realise it is not my responsibility to provide houses for retired members of the Defence Forces, no matter how meritorious the applicant is. That is a job for the housing authority.