Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 March 2010
173 Deputy Jack Wall asked the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence if he has sanctioned evictions of residents of his Department’s housing (details supplied) in County Kildare in view of statements (details supplied) that no evictions of residents, especially widows or widowers, would be undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12116/10]
Amharc ar fhreagraA limited number of Married Quarters are available for serving members of the Permanent Defence Force. Defence Forces Regulations specify that the quarters must be vacated within 15 days of leaving the service. It is standing policy for some years now that the use of Married Quarters should be discontinued in a managed and orderly fashion.
The persons occupying these quarters are currently in illegal occupation of Departmental property and the issue of eviction does not arise as they have no right to occupy these properties. My Department is seeking vacant possession of these properties. However, in a very limited number of cases the occupiers will be allowed to remain subject to an agreement being put in place that there will be no succession rights to family members. My Department will be contacting all individual occupiers by the end of May at the latest to outline its position in relation to their occupation. Whilst it is essential that the quarters be vacated, the Department is prepared to allow a reasonable period of time for the occupiers in question to make alternative arrangements.
My Department has been in contact with Kildare County Council on a number of occasions to outline the steps that it will take to resolve this matter. It is now in the best interests of all occupiers of these quarters to apply to the local authority for housing or to make alternative arrangements for their accommodation.
