Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Defence the numbers of properties he has held over each of the past ten years used for married quarters for members of the Defence Forces; and the position regarding these properties once they are vacated. [38665/11]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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In February 1997 the then Minister for Defence set out policy on married quarters on the basis that they were largely an anachronism and that they should be discontinued in a managed and orderly way. At that time there were 500 married quarters of which 380 were occupied. In the intervening period over 150 quarters located outside of barracks have been sold to occupants while many more have been demolished or converted to other uses.

As of now the stock of married quarters stands at 95 occupied premises. A number of other former quarters are vacant pending a decision on conversion to other military use or demolition. 48 of these quarters are occupied by serving members of the Defence Forces or members of the chaplaincy service. The remaining 47 continue to be occupied by "overholders", a phrase used to describe people who did not vacate the property on their retirement or resignation from the Defence Forces as required under Defence Force Regulations. A number of these are in the process of buying the properties which are outside of barracks.

As part of the process of discontinuing the use of married quarters my Department will, in the near future, be addressing the remaining overholder issue. This will see a small number of people being granted continued occupancy of the properties for the remainder of their lives. In the other cases the Department will be beginning the process of seeking vacant possession of the properties. The first phase of this will involve those concerned being, yet again, made aware of their responsibility to vacate the quarters and advised of the need for them to make alternative arrangements. The Department will provide supporting material to those applying for Local Authority housing.