Vol. 513 No. 1
643 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will intervene and ensure that the level of service given by the Land Registry Office to solicitors in the west is greatly improved to equal that of the service given in the Dublin region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1049/00]
648 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will immediately recruit additional staff to the section specifically dealing with the Mayo and Galway areas in the Land Registry Office to address the inequality in the level of services given to solicitors in the western region compared to solicitors from the Dublin area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1048/00]
671 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will consider re-employing, on a contract basis, the staff who had previously worked in the Land Registry Office and are now retired, until the backlog of transactions for the western region has cleared which would give his Department a chance to train new recruits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1647/00]
694 Mr. Ring asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will review the operation and administration procedures in the Land Registry Office specifically for the section dealing with the western region. [1939/00]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 643, 648, 671 and 694 together.
As the Deputy is no doubt aware, arising out of the buoyancy in the economy and the current high level of activity in the housing market, the number of dealings being lodged with, and the level of business being transacted by, the Land Registry and Registry of Deeds has been increasing steadily for some years now and has been subject to unprecedented increases in recent years. The intake of property transactions by the Land Registry has increased from 91,060 in 1993 to 133,000 in 1999. Arrears have built up despite the significant efficiencies that have been generated by the Registries which has led to an increase of 35% in the overall output of transactions completed by the Registry.
I am very pleased to take this opportunity to inform the Deputy that, following the case I made to the Department of Finance for the allocation of additional staff to the Land Registry, sanction has very recently been received to increase the core numbers of the staff of the Land Registry by 77. The allocation of the additional staff within the Land Registry and Registry of Deeds has yet to be decided and the needs of the Western region along with those of the other regions will be taken into account when the decision is being made.
I am informed by the Registrar of Titles that the main reason for the difference in the level of service delivered to customers in the Dublin and the western regions is due to the fact that only a small number of folios in the western region have so far been computerised. I am satisfied that the provision of additional staff, together with the implementation of the new title registration information system in the western region, which commenced operation in September 1999, will in time offer a much improved level of delivery of services to customers in that area. I am also satisfied that these measures obviate the need to have recourse to the Deputy's suggestion regarding the employment of former employees.
