Does the Minister agree that the equality of access to local authority housing for members of the Defence Forces by comparison with the general population is more theoretical than real? Is he aware that a number of local authorities, in an endeavour to resolve the problem, set aside a number of houses for the Defence Forces from each group of new houses completed, and does the Minister agree that that is a very generous approach on the part of the local authorities? Will the Minister agree that it has become necessary to review the distribution of responsibility between his Department and the local authorities so that once and for all we can get it established with whom the responsibility lies in this matter?

All of this will be included in the special provisions we hope to make in regard to the Department and the local authorities and this will solve the immediate problem of overholders. The Deputy will probably be aware that this is something we will always have with us—there will always be overholders.

Does the Minister not agree that clarification of responsibility in this area would help us to deal with the overholders in the future? I agree with the Minister that a special provision to be made between the Departments of Defence and the Environment could solve the problem on a year-to-year basis, but will he not agree that a proper clarification now of the distribution of responsibility might help to prevent the overholding problem from continuing in the future, which it will if we make provision on a year-to-year basis only?

I agree that such clarification would be helpful and I will do everything in my power to encourage it. Any co-operation we get from any other source will be very welcome.