asked the Minister for Defence if he is prepared to offer a building site near the Curragh Camp to Kildare County Council to enable the council to provide houses for overholders and serving army personnel.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Curragh Camp Building Site.
4.
A number of sites on the Curragh Greenlands have been offered by my Department to Kildare County Council for the purpose of erecting houses in the allocation of which overholders of married quarters at the Curragh Training Camp would receive priority. These sites were, however, found to be unsuitable for this purpose by the council's architect and planning officer on major traffic and amenity grounds.
A site between William's corner and the new married quarters now nearing completion at Brownstown was recently sought by the council but this site is being reserved for possible future housing needs of serving Army personnel.
The Kildare County Council informed my Department last month that they are providing private building sites both in Kildare and Newbridge and that overholders on the Curragh are at liberty to make application for these sites as soon as they are ready. A number of other suggestions in relation to assisting overholders to be rehoused are also being pursued with the council and I will let the Deputy know the outcome of my Department's inquiries into these suggestions in due course.
While I appreciate that efforts have been made in this matter, could I have an assurance from the Minister that in the realisation that certain Army overholders would prefer to be housed in the vicinity of the Curragh, he will endeavour to provide a site there for this very laudable purpose?
Yes. I am glad to say that my Department and I, and my predecessor, have been given full co-operation by Kildare County Council in this respect.