asked the Minister for Justice if, in view of the long delays being experienced in matters involving the Land Registry Office, he will immediately take whatever steps are necessary to prevent such delays.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Delays in Land Registry Office.
14.
The major reorganisation of the Land Registry is now at an advanced stage.
I am confident that the far-reaching changes now being introduced will provide the framework required to discharge the business of the office efficiently and promptly.
In the meantime, everything possible has been, and is being done to reduce delays. I am at the moment considering, for immediate implementation, special arrangements to clear the arrears of work in the Mapping Branch at the earliest possible date.
Dealings and applications of special urgency continue to receive priority treatment.
Has the Minister a note of the number of arrears of dealings there are in the Mapping Branch at present?
I have not the actual numbers. What I can say is that the place is now geared to process all current applications promptly. There is an arrear log in the Mapping Branch. We have a new man in there. The place has been reorganised. It will take some time to clear off these arrears, but arrangements are being made to deal with them.
Is it true that applications are now eight or nine months in arrear in the Mapping Branch?
Yes, I know that now the place is re-geared it will take approximately that time to clear up the arrears.
Is it not perfectly clear these arrears have arisen not through any fault of the officials in the Land Registry but because of the wholly ill-considered and premature arrangements that were brought in by a previous Minister for Justice in the Act of 1964 to throw a whole lot of additional work into the Land Registry before the Land Registry was geared for it?
Whatever the position of the Land Registry was before, it is now being completely reorganised to give efficient service and it is well on the way to providing that service.
The Land Registry is trying to clear up the mess created by a previous Minister for Justice.