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Departmental Properties.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 March 2004

Tuesday, 9 March 2004

Questions (125)

Jack Wall

Question:

212 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Defence the position in regard to the overholders on the Curragh Camp, County Kildare; the position of the sale of the Orchard Park estate to the residents of the estate at the Curragh; the position of refurbishment of the residential quarters on the Curragh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7827/04]

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Written answers

Personnel on being discharged from the Permanent Defence Force are obliged to vacate married quarters within a short period of the dates of their discharge. The individuals overholding 54 married quarters were written to in August 2002, and requested to vacate the properties. To date five of the quarters have been vacated and two others have been purchased by the occupants. A further nine of the properties have been offered for sale and a number of those sales are likely to be finalised in the near future.

My Department is continuing to examine all options, including affordable housing and voluntary and co-operative housing schemes, regarding the re-housing of those overholders who would, in the normal way, be eligible for local authority housing. The Department will remain in contact with the overholders pending resolution of the issue.

With regard to the sale of the 100 married quarters at Orchard Park, the position is that 93 of the occupants have opted to purchase and, to date, 82 of the sales have been completed. In addition, contracts of sale and deeds of transfer have been executed in respect of two further cases.

Married quarters for members of the Defence Forces have for some time been considered an anachronism and it is the policy of the Department to discontinue them in a managed and orderly manner, save in exceptional circumstances. The provision of housing is primarily a matter for the local authorities and married military personnel have an equal claim on such housing as other members of the community in the same income category. Inspections of married quarters are carried out by the military authorities from time to time and it is the policy not to reallocate quarters which are considered sub-standard.

In recent years it has been the practice only to carry out emergency repairs to married quarters and this policy will continue in the future. The military authorities estimate that about €100,000 was expended over the past five years in carrying out such repairs. Rents for married quarters are considerably less than the market value rental valuation for the properties and in this regard negotiations with the representative associations on increases in charges are currently at an advanced stage. However, any revised rates that might be agreed will reflect the present condition of the quarters and those rates would have to be adjusted to reflect any future investment in married quarters.

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