asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that the maps of all registered lands in the Republic were destroyed in the Four Courts fire of 1922 and that all copies of these maps held in local registration offices were procured by the central office until such time as the latter office could procure reconstructed copies thereof and despite the fact that almost 30 years have now elapsed the copy maps have never since been returned to local offices; and, if so, if he will take immediate steps to see that local registration offices have their copy maps returned forthwith.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Maps of Registered Land.
It is not proposed to revert to the pre-1922 practice of keeping and maintaining copy maps in the local offices.
Is the Minister aware that these copy maps from the local land registry were merely got on loan pending the making of maps to replace those burned in 1922? Is he further aware that registered owners and solicitors suffer great inconvenience by being unable to inspect land registry maps in the local land registry office, and in view of that and in view of the small cost of replacing them, will he reconsider his decision in the matter?
Mr. Boland
I am not prepared to reconsider it. These maps were all out of date and there was no necessity whatever to have them there. They were too expensive and the whole practice was uneconomic. It was compulsory to have them up to 1942 but the Act of 1942 made that unnecessary.
Perhaps the Minister would care to tell that to a judge. I know the answer he would get.