Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I am afraid the Minister's reply does not deal with the reality of the issue. The people in question are not anachronisms or overholders but rather men, women and children, some with special needs and other difficulties. These people have attempted to engage in some instances with other State agencies like Kildare County Council and private lenders to secure mortgages but they have been unable to do so because of a deficiency in economic means or their age.

There are a couple of issues with the Minister's reply. It may be Defence Forces policy for people to leave married quarters after they retire from service but that provision has not been implemented. Families have lived in this accommodation for years and in some cases for decades after the serving member retired but no action has been taken. The Minister has stated his Department is not in the business of housing but the State has been taking rent from people like this since 1922; that means the Department has been in the business of housing. It has a duty of care to the people left in that accommodation. No maintenance has been done, as departmental figures would indicate, so there is no cost to the Department. I ask the Minister again to intervene properly rather than evicting these people.

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