asked the Minister for Defence if a specific sum of money will be made available through the Department of the Environment to rehouse former members of the Defence Forces at present overholding married quarters; if he will give details of the number of meetings he has had to discuss this problem; the number held by his predecessor; and the total number held since the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 16 of 26 October 1977; the result of such meetings; and how he plans to resolve the problem.

I informed the Deputy on 28 January and 19 February 1981 that I proposed to approach the Minister for the Environment with a view to having more accommodation made available for overholders. I have made such an approach and will have the outcome communicated to the Deputy in due course.

Would the Minister consider making a specific sum available to the local authorities concerned? This position is getting progressively worse, and rapidly so, and if the nettle is not grasped now the situation will get out of hand completely.

We are tackling the problem in the best way possible. We are having it examined.

How long would the examination take? I have been asking questions for years about Army accommodation and I have always been told it is under consideration but I have never been told the result of such examination.

I share the Deputy's concern and we will try to speed the matter up.

Will the Minister consider giving a specific sum to local authorities for this purpose?

I could not give such an undertaking.

26.