asked the Minister for Defence if he will sanction money for the building of houses in the Cobh area for married members of the Naval Service who at the moment are unable to get houses and are obliged to live in flats in the town of Cobh; and if he has been asked by any member of the Naval Service for house accommodation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Naval Service Housing Accommodation.
109.
There are no current proposals for the building of houses by my Department in the Cobh area. There are at present 41 applicants on the waiting list for married quarters from married members of the Naval Service. The provision of houses for soldiers and naval ratings is primarily a matter for local authorities, and they have an equal claim on local authority houses with any member of the community in the same income group. The policy of my Department is to supplement the efforts of the local authorities where the need is greatest. The needs of the Naval Service will receive full consideration in the light of the circumstances obtaining when decisions are being taken in relation to the location of further housing schemes.
Would the Minister not agree that bad as our Naval Service is and miserable as the Government's efforts are to develop a normal and effective Naval Service, it is worse that 41 members of the Naval Service down in Cobh are on the local housing waiting list trying to get houses? They have no ships and no hope of houses. One often wonders what the Minister is doing.
I think I have fully covered the Deputy's question in my reply.