John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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6. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence the plans that are in place to address the former married quarters housing stock in the Curragh, many of which are lying empty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13232/22]

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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21. To ask the Taoiseach and Minister for Defence his plans to bring the derelict homes at the Curragh Camp in County Kildare back into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13286/22]

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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I ask the Minister about the many boarded-up houses in the Curragh Camp that were formally used as married quarters. What is the plan for the use of those houses? What is the plan to bring them back into use? Have any conversations taken place about changing the policy or indeed, have any taken place with Kildare County Council with a view to making the houses available to deal with the housing crisis we are experiencing?

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 6 and 21 together.

The Deputy will be aware the provision of housing for members of the public is a matter primarily for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, and my Department assists in any way it can in support of such applications for housing assistance, when requested to do so. Additionally, I point out my Department continues currently to occupy premises in a sympathetic manner on a case-by-case basis.

It has been a long-standing policy to discontinue the provision of married quarters to serving Defence Forces personnel. It is not intended to reverse this long-standing policy which was introduced in the early 1990s and was implemented on a gradual basis in recognition of the sensitivities involved for those personnel and their families.

With regard to former married quarters in the active military installation at the Curragh Camp, the future use of such buildings' facilities is primarily a matter for the Defence Forces to consider in the context of their operational and training requirements. To be clear, it is not intended to reverse the policy on the provision of married quarters. This is particularly relevant in the context of the Curragh Camp which is now a training centre and not a self-contained military community, as was the case in the past. Where appropriate and required it is open to the military authorities to consider their conversion to single living accommodation for serving personnel in the Defence Forces Training Centre. To this end, the Deputy will be aware that I recently announced the biggest allocation for the Defence Forces built infrastructure of €45 million for 2022, of which €35 million is specifically targeted at the progression of major capital projects. A further €10 million is being provided to the Defence Forces on a fully delegated basis for the purposes of maintenance of the current building stock.

I assure the Deputy my Department will continue to resolve matters relating to those overholding in properties in a sensitive manner, particularly those properties that may be occupied by vulnerable persons.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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It is absolutely scandalous that in the midst of a housing crisis, any house should be left boarded up and lying vacant. This is especially true when we are dealing with, I believe, between 50 and 60 houses in the Curragh. Many of them have now been lying vacant for 30 years. That is a scandal in its own right. To hear there are absolutely no plans to look at bringing these back into use, either within the Department to be used for members of the Defence Forces or indeed by the local authority, is another scandal.

I have spoken to many members of the Defence Forces. I have spoken to the representative bodies. They said because of the challenges within the Defence Forces, there are many young members who could use that accommodation. That could be when they are coming up for training in the camp. Many officers stationed there for up to a year could utilise that accommodation for their families as well. To hear there is no plan is a massive failure. It is shameful that anyone driving through the Curragh sees between 50 and 60 houses lying vacant in the midst of a housing crisis.

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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I was asking the same question around the dereliction at the Curragh Camp in County Kildare. I am very disappointed to hear there are no plans. The Minister says it is the policy of the Minister with responsibility for housing but previously the Department of Defence said it had engaged with Kildare County Council about a number of houses in the Orchard Park estate on the Curragh and was prepared to work with the council on some remaining properties. I am asking whether it is in fact prepared to do so. We have a housing crisis in this country and must look at every opportunity available. I am dealing with people on the Curragh Camp and soldiers need homes too. We have 6,600 people on the housing list in County Kildare at present.

When one visits the camp, it is disgraceful to see how badly run down it has become. It was once a vibrant town with many people and a great community. This issue needs to be sorted.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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The Curragh Camp is a military training facility and the decision was made many years ago by a previous Government that having married quarters with families on a military training facility was not appropriate. That is not to say that there are not individuals, some of whom are in vulnerable circumstances, still accommodated there. We are trying to deal with that situation and are speaking to Kildare County Council about their needs. That conversation is still open.

Thirty-eight married quarter houses are occupied in the Curragh - 11 are occupied by military and 27 are occupied by overholders. We want to work with them on finding appropriate housing solutions for everyone.

I agree that we need to change the dereliction of the Curragh, and we are changing it. We are investing heavily in the Curragh, but change will not happen overnight. I can outline in some detail the significant amount that we are planning on spending in the Curragh this year and again next year.

John Brady (Wicklow, Sinn Fein)
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The Minister stated that 38 houses were occupied, but his plan is to get everyone out of them and make them derelict as well. He has not answered the question as to how many houses are lying in a state of dereliction. Although we are focusing on the Curragh, I am conscious of the fact that married quarters are being closed down across the State, which means that hundreds of units that were formerly used for housing may be lying vacant now. That there is no plan whatsoever to bring them back into usage is shameful.

Will the Minister outline the total number of current and former residential units in the Curragh? It is all well and good blaming a previous Government for the decision that was taken, but the Minister is in charge now and it is incumbent on him to act and put in place a policy to bring these units back into usage, be it for members of the Defence Forces or for the wider community.

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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I visited the Curragh Camp three weeks ago and saw the dereliction at first hand. I am sure the Minister has visited it several times. He will be aware of the filling in of the hollow at Donnelly's Hollow there. It seems to contain the remains of demolished buildings, although there has been a cover-up subsequently. I have asked several parliamentary questions on this matter but am not waiting for a reply any time soon.

The Curragh's community has suffered greatly and is now losing a school as well. We have soldiers sleeping in cars because they cannot afford to find anywhere else to live. I ask that this situation be dealt with, please.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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If the Deputy has evidence of soldiers sleeping in cars, I would like to hear it. I have heard that accusation before and it has never been followed up with me in terms of details.

Patricia Ryan (Kildare South, Sinn Fein)
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I certainly will. That will be no problem.

Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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If she has those details, I would like to speak to the individuals concerned and we will try to work with them.

I have visited the Curragh and will continue to do so regularly, but the Deputies may wish to note that the following major capital projects are planned in the coming years at a combined cost of €32.7 million: the cadet school, which is scheduled to commence this year; engineering stores, scheduled to commence this year; communications and information services, CIS, workshops, scheduled to commence next year; the Army ranger wing headquarters, scheduled to commence in 2023; the military college auditorium suite; a new bonded warehouse; military freefall, MFF, facilities; and a medical school upgrade. We have a substantial plan of works for the Curragh and have in recent years been investing in upgrading buildings there. As the Deputies know, it is a large complex. The overall Curragh military facility is approximately 5,000 acres. We are incrementally going to upgrade the Curragh, deal with dereliction and ensure that it is an appropriate military training facility with a significant military community operating to modern standards.

The Curragh is the headquarters and, in many ways, the flagship of the Army. I am conscious of that. There are too many derelict buildings in the Curragh and we are setting about addressing that, but I do not believe that the way to do so, which seems to be suggested by the Members opposite, is to put more and more housing into the middle of a military training facility. That would not make sense. Previous Governments have agreed with this policy position, unless Sinn Féin proposes to change it.