Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Sinn Féin welcomes this Bill. Last night, several Deputies mentioned issues relating to conditions, training and pay in the Defence Forces. It is in the context of conditions that I raise the issue of 12 homes in Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines. An example is one 70-year-old woman who has lived there for 47 years. Her husband was a member of the Defence Forces and her son, who has also been an active member of the Defence Forces for the past 20 years, lives with her. They are referred to by the Defence Forces as "overholders" even though they have not been asked to leave or vacate the premises. That woman and her son have asked to buy the property to give them some sense of security because there is none for them now. The Defence Forces have always refused to sell, mainly for legal reasons. A similar case occurred when a family tried on three occasions to buy their home, but the Defence Forces withdrew from the agreements each time. What way is that to treat our Defence Forces' members, our veterans and their families?

Members of the Defence Forces are already badly paid and operate in difficult and challenging conditions. Twelve families have been left in this situation of having no security regarding their homes and, to compound the issue, the Defence Forces will not carry out any repairs to these 12 homes. In addition, permission has also not been given for the residents to carry out repairs. The result is that those houses are crumbling around the residents, and it is unfair to allow people to live in this type of limbo, with no security or clarity regarding what will happen to them or their children in the future. When we talk about conditions, therefore, it is important that we put in place measures to give security to families such as those I mentioned. The legal issues need to be resolved, so I ask the Minister to consider the situation of these residents in the context of conditions and pay for members of the Defence Forces and their families. This is an important matter.

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