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Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 21 Apr 1977

Vol. 298 No. 9

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - House Purchase Requirements.

7.

asked the Minister for Justice why tenants of National Building Agency and Office of Public Works houses who are members of the Garda Síochána have not the option to purchase the houses which is available to other tenants; why they are required to vacate these houses after a lifetime of service; and if he will consider amending the regulations to provide for the inclusion of the Garda Síochána in purchase schemes.

While I recognise that being required to vacate a house one has occupied for a considerable time can in some cases be a source of difficulty, the position in regard to the houses in question is that they are provided for members of the Garda Síochána in order to maintain a supply of officially owned quarters to facilitate transfers. The occupants have no contract of tenancy and when they retire or are transferred the houses are needed for their successors.

Is the Minister aware that in all other houses build by the NBA and local authorities for industry tenants are allowed the option of purchase? Will the Minister consider the position of the widow of a garda who must vacate a house under the present regulations? Will the Minister give gardaí an opportunity of purchasing this type of house? Will the Minister get the Board of Works or the NBA to build other houses for the Garda Síochána as the need arises?

It does not matter who builds the houses. The problem is to maintain a supply of houses for serving personnel. The Conroy Report recommended that there be an adequate supply of married quarters for serving members of the force to facilitate transfers. I agree that on occasions on the death of a garda hardship may be caused to a widow who will have to leave the house, but one must remember that the house was built for a serving member of the force.

The Minister is aware that even if a garda builds his own house he may be transferred to another part of the country. There is no guarantee that the garda in question will not be transferred. He has no comeback.

There is no guarantee. It is one of the exigencies of service in the Garda Síochána that members are liable to be transferred, but transfers are only effected for the good of the service. It might happen occasionally that a member having built his own house will have to be transferred, but in those circumstances he can sell his house and use the funds to buy another house. Alternatively, if there is an NBA house, he can have the tenancy of that.

Is the Minister happy with the present situation whereby these people have to pay rent for a lifetime and there is no such thing as compensation? Will the Minister consider the position of a widow who must vacate one of these houses?

The Deputy has already mentioned that aspect.

The alternative would be not to supply NBA houses at all. If there were no houses that problem would not arise, but it is in the interests of the force that houses be provided. While the rents on these houses are not nominal, they are certainly low by comparison with commercial rents in the areas in question. The force appreciate the fact that in many areas NBA houses are provided and they accept them on the understanding that these houses are provided only for serving members of the force. If a garda is permanently transferred somewhere he has the option after a certain time of providing his own house and many gardaí do this. They go into NBA houses on initial transfer and subsequently provide their own house.

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