More than half of Defence Forces family accommodation is unoccupied

Almost 60 per cent of Defence Forces family accommodation is unoccupied and there are no plans by the Department of Defence to change this.

The Government has been winding down the use of military family accommodation, known as married quarters, since 1997, when it ended the policy of offering accommodation to married Defence Forces personnel.

Today there are 134 married quarters in Dublin, Cork and Kildare, 77 of which are unoccupied, according to figures released to Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon. In Cork, all 10 units are unoccupied.

The majority of married quarters that are in use are occupied by “overholders”, retired military personnel or their family members who refused to move out when the Government ended its policy of offering military housing to married members.

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It is understood that most of the unoccupied accommodation is in poor repair and would require work to make it liveable.

The abandonment of military accommodation of married personnel has been the subject of criticism by Defence Forces representative bodies in the past, particularly given the current housing crisis and in light of personnel retention issues affecting the military.

Last month, the Representative Association for Commissioned Officers said there has been a policy of “managed decline” by the Department of Defence since the 1990s “where decent quality housing stock was allowed to fall into disrepair in a deliberate strategy to ‘phase out’ the provision of accommodation for Defence Forces personnel and their families”.

It has proposed a new scheme, similar to ones used in the UK, Australia and Spain, where the department rents private accommodation and provides it to personnel at a subsidised rate.

Last month, The Irish Times reported that a woman soldier with an infant child was homeless and sleeping on the couches of friends and family after being denied permission to live in military accommodation. Defence sources said it was the first case of its kind they had come across.

According to the figures, 41 units of married quarters are occupied by overholders while 16 are used by military personnel. Although married accommodation is generally no longer available, some is still provided to serving personnel on a short-term basis, it is understood.

Asked about the issue this week, the department said there are no plans “to reintroduce provision of residential accommodation for family living purposes in military installations”.

However, there are plans to significantly expand accommodation for single Defence Forces personnel, it said.

A department spokesman said such accommodation is provided for serving personnel when it is required “for operational and training duties”.

“One of the key features of the current Defence Forces Infrastructure Plan is the prioritisation given to capital projects designed to increase the capacity of such accommodation.”

Under the plan, 365 beds have been provided, with another 320 due to come online this year, he said.

The department said that on taking up office late last year, Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin directed another assessment of housing stock “to determine their optimal long-term use”.