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

Both I and Deputy Wallace were very happy that Department of Defence officials took up our offer of a meeting. This issue and a number of others were discussed at the meeting in regard to accommodation in the camp. They made it clear that as a policy issue the Government does not want to see families living in the Curragh camp. I appreciate that, although I do not agree with it, and I recognise it is the Minister's view. However, this question specifically relates to the immediate concerns of those families who, for whatever reason, were led to believe that they could stay after they left the Army, either as a result of no contact from the Department of Defence or because they were told they could continue to live there. As a result of that, some of them find they cannot get alternative accommodation because they are too old or have too many needs to qualify for social accommodation.

Will the Minister consider, in the context of the meeting we had, the possibility of his officials meeting with representatives of those families? We do not condone those people who are paying nothing while living there and we have made that quite clear. We ask that officials would meet those who are not in that category to try to reach an amicable solution. Would the Minister be willing to make the technical assessment of the properties available to Deputies?

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