I welcome the Minister's intention to promote co-operative effort but would he elaborate on what type of co-operative housing he has in mind? Will he accept that overholding in Army houses is getting progressively worse year by year and that unless something is done immediately the situation will be beyond redemption?

I agree it merits immediate attention.

What type of co-operative system is the Minister talking about?

I am talking about county councils providing the necessary loans for members of the Defence Forces, or overholders who are former members of the Defence Forces, to enable them to rehouse themselves. We have decided that the Quartermaster General should encourage the formation of such schemes.

Loans have been available all the time. That is not progress towards the solution of the housing problem.

It would appear that members of the Defence Forces in Mullingar and Longford found it helpful.

Is the Minister seriously talking about a proper housing co-operative system? Will he take this up with local authorities who have Army barracks in their jurisdiction? Would he make some contribution to the local authorities to help them to provide fully serviced sites to facilitate a proper co-operative housing scheme for Army personnel? We have heard of the medical officer's report in regard to Dublin which condemned all the accommodation as substandard. We had a television programme outlining in detail the difficulties and the problems of the Defence Forces' accommodation. I am asking the Minister seriously to take up with local authorities, with a contribution from his Department, the provision of serviced sites.

I have travelled all these roads for many years in deputations to successive Governments and Ministers for Defence with regard to the provision of serviced sites on the Curragh and elsewhere. I have gone into depth in regard to special allocations the Department of Defence might make to local authorities so that a certain number of houses in each local authority housing scheme adjacent to Army barracks could be designated for Army personnel. I have not been very successful. Will the Deputy accept my assurance that anything I can do to resolve this will be done?

They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Would the Minister examine my suggestion that he discuss with local authorities who have Army barracks in their area the possibility of providing fully serviced sites, with the help of an allocation from the Department? That is the first step towards providing proper Army housing.

I will examine it.