Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 491: To ask the Minister for Defence the amount of pension money withheld by his Department and due to overholders; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27170/04]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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The total amount of pension withheld by my Department under the Defence Forces pensions schemes from persons in unauthorised occupation of married quarters is approximately €330,000, net of income tax, PRSI, overholding and electricity charges.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 492: To ask the Minister for Defence if, further to previous parliamentary questions in regard to overholders, progress has been made in relation to having the matter resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27171/04]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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Personnel on being discharged from the Permanent Defence Force are obliged to vacate married quarters within a short period of the dates of their discharge. The provision of housing is primarily a matter for the local authorities and married military personnel have an equal claim on such housing as other members of the community in the same income category.

The individuals overholding 54 married quarters were written to in August, 2002, and requested to vacate the properties. To date seven of the quarters have been vacated and three others have been purchased by the occupants. A further eight of the properties have been offered for sale and a number of those sales are likely to be finalised in the near future.

My Department is continuing to examine all options, including affordable housing and voluntary and co-operative housing schemes, in relation to the re-housing of those overholders who would in the normal way be eligible for local authority housing. The Department will remain in contact with the overholders pending resolution of the issue.