asked the Minister for the Environment if he will arrange to make the same grants and subsidies available to Defence Force personnel living in married quarters as are available to local authority tenants when they hand up their house and are first-time buyers of a new house.

The only difference in entitlements to grants and subsidies between the two groups is in relation to the £5,000 grant payable to the local authority tenants. With regard to the question of extending the £5,000 grant to Defence Force personnel, I would refer the Deputy to my reply to Question No. 114 of 6 June.