Avril Doyle
Question:25 Mrs. Doyle asked the Minister for Justice the reason compulsory registration still exists for properties in counties Meath, Carlow and Offaly and not for the other 23 counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Compulsory Property Registration.
The policy underlying the Registration of Title Act, 1964 was the gradual extension of registration of title to the entire State through the compulsory provisions of the Act. In 1964, registration of title covered most of the agricultural land and it was decided to extend the benefit of the system to the remainder of such land and to all urban areas as resources would permit. As a first step, the compulsory provisions were applied from 1 January, 1970 to Counties Meath, Carlow and Laois.
A combination of the Land Registry's increasing workload and restrictions on Civil Service recruitment in the 1980s, which resulted in a build-up of arrears, has meant that it has not been possible as yet to extend compulsory registration to other counties. It is envisaged that, when the arrears are cleared and conversion of the registries to a semi-State commercial enterprise is accomplished, there will be further extension of compulsory registration.