asked the Minister for Defence if he will make finance available to rehouse overholders on the Curragh Camp, County Kildare.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Curragh Overholders Rehousing.
16.
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.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that this problem cannot be handled by the local authority? He may not be aware that the local authority are bound by guidelines which exclude people living in fit conditions who are overholders on the Curragh Camp. Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that Kildare County Council have tried to make available to people who are overholding on the Curragh a number of houses in every scheme within the area? Is he aware that this problem was created over the years in our county by the Defence Forces? He now disclaims all responsibility for this very serious problem. Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware of the seriousness of the problem in the respects I have mentioned?
I can say that the Minister is aware of this. If he were not, he was made painfully aware of it by a letter which he received some time ago from Deputy Power demanding some positive action on this. The Minister is in communication with the Minister for Finance at the present time with a view to seeing if something can be done whereby the Army may be enabled to provide a limited number of houses annually in order to clear up the overholding position. I understand there are about 27 overholders at the moment.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary giving a different answer now to the one which he gave in the first instance?
No. The provision of houses for former members who are overholders is a matter for the local authorities and always has been but, arising from the representations referred to, the Minister is at present in contact with the Minister for Finance with a view to seeing if this could be changed and if the Army could provide a certain number of houses annually in order to clear up the overholding position.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary saying that his Department was unaware of this?
No.
This problem has existed for the past 40 years under successive Governments and nothing has been done by the Department.
I accept that.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary saying that something will be done?
The Minister is proposing to do something about it and we hope that he will not have to wait four years like his predecessor.
I attended on a deputation ten years ago to the Minister about this matter.
(Interruptions.)
Order.
Is the Parliamentary Secretary aware that both the Departments of Defence and Local Government used to accept some responsibility for these people and that because of this divided responsibility the problem was never solved? Deputy Bermingham is quite right when he says that this problem has been with us for 40 years. We are now told that somebody is in discussion with the Department of Finance.
I accept this.
The next question, please.