Written Answers. - Departmental Bodies.
Brian O'Shea
Question:
196
Mr. O'Shea
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the effect staffing levels and work levels at the Land Registry office, Waterford, will have on the issuing of certified copies in colour of folios and file plans from the central customer services unit; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23552/03]
Brian O'Shea
Question:
198
Mr. O'Shea
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the effect on staffing levels at the Land Registry office, Waterford, the computerising of all remaining paper based folios and file plans will have; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23554/03]
Brian O'Shea
Question:
199
Mr. O'Shea
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
the effect the scanning of all remaining paper base folios and file plans at the Land Registry office, Waterford, will have on the operation of the office in Waterford; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23555/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 196, 198 and 199 together.
In 1999 the Land Registry launched its integrated title registration information system, ITRIS, together with its electronic access service, EAS. A fundamental component in the overall success of the project was identified at an early stage as the need to substantially increase the volume of information available for customers on-line. After careful and thorough analysis, document imaging was identified as the most efficient solution to this challenge.
As a result, the Land Registry's document imaging programme, with support from the Government's information society fund, commenced in January 2002. This was the culmination of what was one of the projects progressed by the registries partnership committee established under Partnership 2000. To date over 3.5 million pages of information, representing all paper folios and filed plan maps in respect of 16 counties, have been imaged and are now available for customers on-line. Approximately 12,000 to 14,000 new images and their associated names indices are being made available each day. One of the early decisions made was to scan all documents in colour. From the colour image a black and white copy is derived and is available for customers via the Internet. All certified copies are issued in colour. This has led to the provision of a considerably enhanced product for customers.
In a survey conducted during 2001 the Land Registry's customers identified as their main priority – by a considerable margin – the availability of folios and filed plans for inspection and the availability of certified copies of these documents. Already the document imaging project has delivered a considerably enhanced service for both staff and customers of the registry at all locations. All feedback from customers and staff has confirmed this. In the paper environment clearly a document could only be in one place at a time. Thanks to imaging the same document can be available to multiple users at a wide variety of locations at the same time. This eliminates frustrating and time consuming tasks for staff and customers.
In addition to the vast improvement in customer service, on the completion of imaging – scheduled for the end of 2004 – the registry will have, for the first time ever, land records both current and historic which will be secure. The Land Registry will then have a complete back-up of title records – folios, filed plan maps, index maps and names indices.
The Land Registry now creates all new folios in a fully structured digitised format. In parallel with the imaging of folios all existing unstructured folios, both paper and imaged versions, are converted to fully structured folios on the lodgement of an application for registration. Each day approximately 500 to 600 are converted. It will be some time however before all 2 million folios are held in structured format.
In parallel with this project the Land Registry has continued to see an ongoing increase in demand for its products and services. It would appear that the ready availability of documents and their availability via the Internet has led to an increase in demand. It is to be noted that the number of subscribers increased from 700 in 1999 to 4,400 in 2002 and that the number of business transactions, that is, inspections, applications, copies etc., conducted through the electronic access service, EAS, increased from 36,496 transactions in 1999 to 274,561 in 2002.
Since the launch of the ITRIS and EAS systems the volume of work being processed by the Land Registry has continued to grow. The following table outlines this growth for the two major categories of work:
|
Year
|
DealingsOutput
|
Copy Folios/FiledPlans Issued
|
1999
98,479
140,485
2000
105,309
146,692
2001
146,554
151,034
2002
151,717
165,410
In addition to advances in technology additional staff were allocated during this period. For example, when the Land Registry decentralised part of its operations to Waterford in 1997-1999 approximately 140 staff were employed at that location. Today 190 posts, filled by 205 staff, are allocated to Waterford. A further benefit of the project will be to free up much needed space at all our offices and facilitate an enhanced working environment for all staff.
The project overall will have the same impact on the operations of the counties served from the Waterford office as it is currently having on the counties served from the other locations. It will enhance customer service, improve the quality of the products and services, reduce frustrations of staff having to work in a paper environment thereby improving staff morale, contribute to improved productivity, reduced waiting times and delays and ultimately lead to increased customer satisfaction.
Brian O'Shea
Question:
197
Mr. O'Shea
asked the
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform
his proposals in regard to the setting up of a semi-State body for the Land Registry office and Registry of Deeds; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[23553/03]
I am reviewing policy with regard to the future organisation status of the Land Registry and the Registry of Deeds and I will bring forward and announce the outcome of this review in the normal way in due course.
Questions Nos. 198 and 199 answered with Question No. 196.
