146. Deputy Sean Sherlock asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Defence the up-to-date position with the provision of military housing in County Kildare at the Curragh camp; if the report has been finalised; the conversations he or his Department have had with the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage or the local authority on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42519/24]

A consultant was commissioned by the Defence Forces to assess the condition of the vacant housing in barracks and its suitability for conversion/refurbishment to provide for additional single living-in accommodation for Defence Force personnel. My officials have provided observations on a final draft of this report, and I expect the Defence Forces to submit the report to me imminently. The provision of local authority, social and/or affordable housing is a matter for the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage. Officials in my Department have not been in correspondence with that Department on that specific matter. However, my Department has engaged with local authorities in relation to the transfer of appropriate property holdings outside of barracks that are no longer required for military purposes and that could form part of the general housing stock available to local authorities. A number of properties have previously been transferred and my Department remains open to transferring vacant housing units to the relevant housing authorities, on a similar basis when they become available.

In addition, under the Government's Housing for All plan, all Government Departments were asked to examine their land portfolio to assess if there is suitable land available for housing. My Department has actively engaged in this process and in May 2022 carried out an assessment of lands available for housing purposes within the parameters of the Department of Housing's then criteria, and engaged with that Department regarding relevant sites.

I am pleased to report that, in my tenure, significant investments have been made to improve the Defence Forces built infrastructure, particularly in the prioritised expansion of accommodation in recent years.I am aware that there is residual and historic housing stock remaining in some installations. While much of this stock is unoccupied and built before modern accommodation standards, on taking office I immediately instructed that some housing stock in the Curragh Camp marked down for demolition was to be renovated and modernised for single living in accommodation purposes. In addition I instructed that an assessment be carried out of all other housing stock under my Department’s control to determine how they can be best utilised for our personnel.