Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 4 Nov 2003

Vol. 573 No. 3

Written Answers. - Defence Forces Accommodation.

Jack Wall

Ceist:

158 Mr. Wall asked the Minister for Defence the progress which has been made in his Department's discussions with Kildare County Council with a view to resolving the accommodation difficulties of overholders in living accommodation in the Curragh camp; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25258/03]

Bernard J. Durkan

Ceist:

203 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Defence the extent to which Army overholders have been given alternative accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25629/03]

Minister for Defence (Mr. M. Smith)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 203 together.

On being discharged from the Permanent Defence Force, personnel are obliged to vacate married quarters within a short period of the dates of their discharge. The provision of housing is primarily a matter for the local authorities and married military personnel have a claim on such housing which is equal to those of other members of the community in the same income category.

The individuals overholding 51 married quarters at the Curragh camp were written to in August 2002 and requested to vacate the properties. To date, four of the quarters have been vacated and one other has been purchased by the occupant. A further eight of the properties, which are located at Orchard Park, have been offered for sale and four of those sales are being actively pursued by the occupants at present.

Meetings have been held between officials of the Department and the overholders as well as with officials of Kildare County Council. In cases where houses have been offered for sale to overholders, the Department has requested the co-operation of Kildare County Council in ensuring that mortgages are made available to eligible applicants and some progress has been made in this regard. My Department is continuing to examine all options, including affordable housing and voluntary and co-operative housing schemes, for the rehousing of those overholders, who would in the normal way be eligible for local authority housing. Co-operative schemes are financed under the terms of the capital loan and subsidy scheme operated by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the local authorities. Three quarters continue to be overheld at McKee Park and Arbour Hill in Dublin. The Department will remain in contact with the overholders pending resolution of the issue.