Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is important for me to reiterate that the Department of Defence is not a housing authority. I am quite happy to reflect on the issues raised by the Deputies. I was asked to engage with my Cabinet colleagues. I remind the House that they are facing similar capital expenditure constraints. A cost-benefit analysis of the Deputies' proposal would be very interesting, especially if it revealed whether public housing could be provided more effectively in a better location. I refer to the provision of new accommodation as opposed to the restoration of the accommodation at Curragh Camp. Certainly, the housing at Curragh Camp could not be opened to the general community.

I was also asked whether some discrete form of housing, which would be impossible to provide elsewhere because of the limited amount of it that is there, should be provided for a small number of members of the Defence Forces. I am reminded of the issue on which Deputy Daly attacked me earlier. We can assume for a minute that these properties could be made available for rental to current members of the Defence Forces, just as the properties we were discussing earlier have been. If people who have been in the Defence Forces for some years engage in overholding and fail to vacate those houses, will my successor as Minister for Defence be attacked for showing a lack of humanity? In such circumstances, will the Department of Defence and the Defence Forces get entangled in public housing issues that are more appropriate to local authorities? There is a difficulty in this area.

I absolutely understand that the Deputies have a genuine concern in this regard. I respect that. The question of whether this issue could be dealt with differently is an interesting one. They cannot have it both ways, however. They cannot say the Department of Defence should provide housing, but then attack the Minister for Defence of the day - regardless of who he or she happens to be - on the basis that he or she lacks humanity when people do not vacate that housing as they are legally required to do. It is not reasonable for one to argue that the Department of Defence should create additional housing to be let out if one is going to suggest that the next Minister is evil incarnate for seeking to get those who do not comply with the leasing arrangements to vacate those properties.

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