Army families reach deal to buy out homes

ELEVEN army families who faced eviction from their homes are to be given the chance to buy the properties after thrashing out a deal with the Department of Defence.

In September the Irish Examiner revealed the story of the 11 occupiers or “overholders” at properties adjacent to the Cathal Brugha Army barracks in Rathmines in Dublin.

At the time the Department of Defence said the families had been notified over a period of years that they needed to vacate the houses as, according to army regulations, they were for the use of serving members of the defence forces only.

The overholders had then been informed by letter that they had until the end of October to vacate the properties. An emergency meeting at the end of September granted the families a stay on the eviction threat and last week another meeting saw the two sides agree to a buyout.

A spokesman for the Department of Defence said yesterday that an end to the saga was in sight.

“The defence forces are now in a position to offer to sell the accommodation to the occupiers, subject to certain terms and conditions,” she said.

“Formal letters of offer will be issued to the occupants in the next 10 days and they are required to write back regarding the terms and conditions.”

The spokesman said the department would not be commenting on the terms and conditions attached to the proposed buyout, or on the individual sale prices attached to the properties.

It is understood, however, that different prices have been attached to different properties depending on their size, as some of the houses have fewer bedrooms than others. It is also understood that individual occupiers can agree to buy the houses from the defence forces, whereas a similar offer made to the families a decade ago floundered because each occupier would have had to agree to the buyout.

Regarding the terms and conditions, it is believed that this limits who can buy the houses to individuals occupying the properties.

Officials involved in the negotiations are understood to be satisfied that the controversy over the houses, which has rumbled on for years, could now be at an end. It is also thought that another house, badly damaged in a fire some years ago, will also be sold off.

The families, who have long maintained their right to stay in houses in which some have lived for decades, were unavailable for comment yesterday