This afternoon in the Dáil Deputy Cathal Berry TD spoke to the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin about the housing crisis in Co. Kildare, with over 6,500 people on the social housing waiting list.
Deputy Berry noted that ‘According to the Department of Defence, there are 62 vacant houses in the Curragh Camp, many of which could be used by military families.’
He continued ‘we need to change the policy in the Department of Defence and accommodate military families on military property, free up the private rental sector and ease the pressure on the local authorities from a social housing perspective. The military should look after their own. We should renovate these 62 derelict houses in the Curragh Camp and allocate them to military families in need.’
‘The Department of Defence should be building their own housing like they did in the past. If third-level universities can do it for their students on campus, then why can’t the military sector do it?’
‘By doing so we would address three crises; the housing crisis, the rural dereliction crisis and the retention crisis in the Defence Forces.’
Deputy Berry welcomed the reassuring response from the Tánaiste in the Dáil today and welcomed the commitment to ensure that existing housing within Defence Force property would now be used for housing purposes which could be used to help to improve the quality of life for members of the Defence Forces and address the serious ongoing retention issue.
Click here to watch Deputy Cathal Berry’s parliamentary contribution.
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