Personnel are obliged, under Defence Force Regulations, to vacate married quarters within a specified period of being discharged from the Permanent Defence Force. The term overholder is used to describe former members of the Defence Forces and their families who have refused to leave married quarters within 15 days of leaving the Defence Forces. There are 36 married quarters currently being occupied by overholders in the Curragh Camp, County Kildare. The duration of overholding ranges from 44 years to 8 months with the majority overholding between 20 to 30 years. The issue of overholders is being addressed in a number of ways. Since 2010 with the assistance of the Chief State Solicitors Office formal procedures have been put in place to ensure that occupants of married quarters are made aware of their responsibilities to vacate properties. This facilitates the initiation of proceedings to obtain vacant possession of the properties from those who have retired since 2010.
Overholders if they are in receipt of a pension or gratuity pay additional charges for married quarters which is deducted at source.
Since 1997 properties outside of Barracks are offered for sale to tenants with over 150 sold since the scheme was introduced.
In a small number of cases people have been being granted continued occupancy of the properties for the remainder of their lives with formal leases being put in place.
The securing of alternative housing is a matter for the individuals concerned in the first instance. If personnel are not in a position to secure housing in their own right they must make application to their local authority outlining their requirements. In recent years the Department has had meetings with Kildare County Council to discuss the issue of the continued occupation of married quarters by former members of the Defence Forces. Kildare County Council has informed the Department that the overholders must be registered on their housing list before any consideration can be given to providing accommodation for them. My Department is available to assist whenever possible in ensuring that the authorities are aware of the requirements of individuals when vacating military quarters. The Department provides supporting material to those applying for Local Authority housing where required.
