Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 16 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 2

Adjournment Debate. - Land Registry.

Mr. Connaughton

I thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle, for giving me the opportunity to raise this very important matter. A major crisis has hit the Land Registry in recent months. It is now apparent that there are major structural problems in the Land Registry which, at first glance, seems to suggest there are not enough staff to handle the massive volumes of transactions processed through that busy office every day.

The Land Registry office is one of the most important offices because it impacts to some degree or another on all people at some time during their lives. All property transactions, from the traditional handing over of a farm, shop or site from one generation to another to the registration of millions of pounds worth of property in towns and cities all over the country, most go through the Land Registry. Even the humble bog plot must go the same route.

Citizens are up in arms about the service they get from the Land Registry. It is now impossible to expedite even urgent applications for title registration. Many Dublin law firms who act as searchers for country solicitors have asked them not even to try to expedite cases because it is not possible. One west of Ireland solicitor described the situation as absurd last week. However, in fairness to the legal profession, it is carrying the can in the context of the public's frustration with the Land Registry. In this case it is not its fault. The delays are happening in the Land Registry.

For a long time I have dealt with the Land Registry in my role as a public representative. It is most co-operative and professional. However, in recent times it has been submerged under the volume of work. It just cannot handle it.

Mr. Enright

It needs more staff.

Mr. Connaughton

To illustrate the point, I have here a message sent by one firm of law searchers to its solicitors down the country. It states:

We wish to advise that at present the Land Registry are unable to expedite folio, file plans and copy maps due to the excessive amount of backlog. Until further notice they are advising not to lodge expedite letters as it is holding up the process of file maps and copy maps being issued. Thanking you for your co-operation.

That is from the law searchers, not from me as a Dáil Deputy. There is a huge problem. An ordinary map, which should take two or three days to deal with, could take five or six weeks or even 12 weeks. Section 49 applications take from two to five years. Anything connected with subdivision or the construction of a map takes a couple of years. Many of the most vulnerable, young couples starting to build a new house, are forced on to bridging loans just because they cannot get the title which would allow the loan to be paid.

This issue was raised in this House on numerous occasions. Last year a case was made for increasing the fees on the basis that it would enable a greater number of staff to be employed. The fees for ordinary transactions, which averaged about £250, were increased to about £400. However, instead of getting a better service citizens are getting a much worse one.

Unless somebody takes the whole system by the scruff of the neck – I do not know whether that means employing extra staff, changing the structure or privatising the Land Registry – greater efficiency cannot be assured. Nobody is happy with it. It would be ironic if in the current economic climate the Land Registry office became an obstacle to progress. We would not want that to happen.

Dr. Moffatt

On behalf of my colleague, Deputy John O'Donoghue, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, who could not be here tonight, I thank the Deputy for the opportunity to update the House on this issue which is of importance for many people.

The increased buoyancy we have experienced in the economy in recent years has dramatically increased the number of property transactions which have to be processed by the Land Registry. In addition to the increase in property transactions, major infrastructural projects undertaken by the bodies responsible for systems and utilities, for example, Bord Gáis, the ESB, Coillte, the National Roads Authority, Bord na Móna and so on, have also placed considerable strain on the Registry's ability to provide essential services. As a result, the intake of applications has grown to an unprecedented level with each successive year setting new record levels. From current figures available, it appears that the intake of applications for 2001 will be approximately 160,000.

The work carried out in the registries is complex and requires the greatest care to ensure accuracy. It also requires a level of staff training before staff become proficient in the work. In the circumstances, the staff in the Land Registry has worked very hard to give the best possible service to its customers and the Minister has asked me to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the staff for their continued dedication.

Deputies may also wish to note that any cases involving urgency are dealt with expeditiously, in accordance with the customer service policy of the Land Registry. The length of time taken to complete cases varies depending on a number of factors, including the complexity of the case, the completeness of the documentation forwarded by the solicitors, the clarity of entitlement to title and so on. The efficient operation of the work of the Registry depends on the receipt of accurate information on applications and on prompt and accurate replies to queries by applicants or their legal advisers. By way of example, the Minister has been informed by the Registrar of Titles and Deeds that at present more than 29,000 applications are being held under query. These cases cannot be proceeded with until the queries raised have been satisfactorily dealt with by applicants or their legal advisers.

Last year, to address the increasing intake of applications, the Minister received sanction from the Minister for Finance to increase the staffing compliment of the Land Registry by 77. The majority of these appointments have been made and the training of the new staff is now beginning to pay dividends. Already this year, to the end of September, more than 112,000 dealings, representing an increase in output for the same period of almost 47% over the year 2000, have been completed. The Minister has asked me to inform the Deputy that he recently received a further sanction for an additional 19 temporary posts, and a drive to recruit these staff is now under way. The Minister has asked me to assure the Deputy that every effort is being made by the management and staff of the Land Registry to address the problems which have developed, mainly due to the unprecedented increase in the levels of business. The Land Registry management is implementing some pro-active measures to help deal with the situation, including improvements to work flow the training and development of staff, the use of new technology, the launch of an e-commerce service and the computerised data capture of folios and maps.

In relation to issuing maps, the Minister has asked me to inform the Deputy that the Land Registry has developed improved procedures whereby 600 maps are issued each day. I understand that 50% of all copy map applications on current folios are completed within 24 hours. A further 25% are issued within ten working days. Of the remainder, the ability of the Land Registry to deal with them depends on a variety of factors including whether a map needs to be specifically prepared, as opposed to merely copied and certified. The Minister is sure that Deputies will agree that, in the main, this represents a very good throughput of cases.

As the Deputy may also be aware, the Land Registry has been in the process of implementing computerised systems to manage its records base for several years. In July 1999, a major advance was made with the introduction of an Integrated Title Registration Information System – ITRIS. This system, which is designed to electronically store and manage information in relation to title registration, is being rolled out on a gradual basis across the organisation. ITRIS is currently available in nine counties serving more than 60% of the applications lodged in the Land Registry.

A key element of this new system is electronic access service. This enables customers of the Land Registry who subscribe to the service to conduct on-line searches of folios and name index records through the Internet, where the folios are held in electronic format and to order copies of certain documents electronically. Deputies will agree that steps are being taken to improve the situation in relation to the processing of applications in the Land Registry and the Minister is confident that, with the recent appointment of additional staff and the programme of measures being taken, the situation will improve further.