SOME 48 married Army quarters are occupied by people who do not serve with the Defence Forces, according to Minister for Defence Alan Shatter.
He said the Department of Defence was planning to ask most of the tenants to vacate the properties. However, a small number of people would be allowed to stay in the quarters for the remainder of their lives.
Mr Shatter was replying to a parliamentary question from Independent TD Maureen O’Sullivan. She had asked how many former Army personnel or their widowed spouses or other family members were still living in married quarters.
Once a serving member leaves the Defence Forces they are expected to vacate the Army married quarters in 15 days. People who remain in the accommodation are known as overholders.
Mr Shatter said there were 34 overholders in the Curragh Camp; 11 in Cathal Brugha Barracks, Rathmines; two in Dublin 7; and one in Fort Templebreedy, Co Cork.
Some residents are former members of the Defence Forces and some are spouses of former members. Others are children of former members and one is an ex-civilian employee of the Department of Defence.
In eight of the cases the overholders have been living in the quarters without being entitled to for more than 20 years.
Mr Shatter said 10 of the properties at Cathal Brugha Barracks were in the process of being sold to the current occupants.
The charge for married quarters ranges from €36.90 to €70.67 per week for enlisted personnel to €411.22 to € 616.85 per month for officers. Overholders pay an additional 10 per cent on these charges if they are in receipt of a pension or gratuity.
Mr Shatter said it was decided in February 1997 that married quarters were largely an anachronism and 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 outside of barracks were sold to occupants, while many more had been demolished or converted to other uses.
Mr Shatter said the Department of Defence would soon be beginning the process of seeking vacant possession of the majority of 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.”
He said the department would provide supporting material to those applying for local authority housing.
Mr Shatter said the small number of overholders allowed to remain in the quarters would not have to pay the household charge because buildings vested in a minister of the government were not liable for the charge.
