Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 May 2026
335. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Defence if she is aware of the condition of a property a person (details supplied) is residing in; if she is aware of the person's desire to regularise the tenancy arrangements with her Department in order that repairs can be undertaken, including repair of the house and possible subsidence issues that can be resolved; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37380/26]
View answerThe Deputy may be aware it has been a long-standing policy to discontinue the historic provision of tied housing to Defence Forces personnel. This policy introduced in the late 1990s has been implemented on a gradual basis, sympathetic to the needs of those occupying these former Married Quarters, in particular those persons who may be vulnerable. It is not intended to reverse this long-standing policy.
Personnel who leave the Defence Forces or who vacate a property that had been assigned to them are required under Regulations to return vacant possession of that property. It must be noted that the majority of those to whom such property was allocated have observed this requirement. Where the property is not vacated, those remaining in the property, be they the former serving member or the spouse and children of the former serving member, are classed as overholding.
I can advise that my Department has previously made an offer of a licence to the occupant of this property but this offer was not accepted. My officials have also offered to liaise with the relevant housing authority on their behalf but the appropriate GDPR consent was not submitted to my Department. Should GDPR consent be provided my officials will engage directly with the relevant housing authority. It should be noted that my Department has regularly engaged with the local authority in an effort to transfer the titles of residential housing and remains open to doing so.
