Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 350: To ask the Minister for Defence the circumstances surrounding the refusal by his Department to sell Clancy Barracks to Dublin City Council at a reasonable price and the subsequent sale of the barracks to a private developer in 2004 at a basement bargain price; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5630/07]

Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)
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At the outset I would like to say that Dublin City Council was given ample opportunity to acquire Clancy Barracks. The Government, on the 15th July, 1998, approved a programme of evacuation and sale of six barracks, including Clancy Barracks, Islandbridge, Dublin. Following on the Government decision Dublin City Council expressed an interest in having the property made available for affordable and social housing. Meetings were held between my Department, the City Council and the then Department of the Environment and Local Government. The view of the City Council and the Department of the Environment and Local Government was that the optimal solution would be to sell the land on the open market rather than have it purchased by the Local Authority for housing purposes.

Clancy Barracks, Dublin was offered for sale by public tender in June, 2001. Two bids were received, one of which was from Dublin City Council. Both tenders were considered too low to permit acceptance and the property remained on the market. Subsequently discussions took place with officials of the then Department of the Environment and Local Government and Dublin City Council. In the event, Dublin City Council did not proceed to acquire the property on the basis that it was considered that the public interest would be best served from a housing and planning perspective by selling the property on the open market rather than have it purchased by the Local Authority.

The Department accepted an offer from Florence Properties Ltd, in June 2002, for the purchase of Clancy Barracks in the sum of €25.4 million which price was significantly higher than either of the tender bids received.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 351: To ask the Minister for Defence the options available to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare who has been medically discharged for the Army due to an army accident now that the Army has served the person with an eviction order; if his Department or the Defence Forces had meetings or consultation or correspondence with a housing agency or local authority in seeking to provide alternative accommodation for the family; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5670/07]

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. In the case of the individual in question, I am advised that he was discharged on the 29 October 2006 after five years service. He should have vacated married quarters on the 19 November 2006 but did not do so. The provision of housing is primarily a matter for the local authorities and married personnel have an equal claim on such housing as other members of the community in the same income category.