I thank Senators for agreeing to the sitting of the House to facilitate debate on this short, technical but important Bill. I know that many Members have other pressing commitments in the election for Seanad Éireann. Having recently been involved in the general election I appreciate that being here represents a major intrusion on Members' valuable time and again I register my thanks to them.
The decision to decentralise part of the Land Registry to Waterford was announced by the then Taoiseach, Deputy Albert Reynolds, on 4 November 1992 and I am greatly honoured that it falls to me as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to introduce the legislation to provide the necessary legal framework for this decision to be brought into effect.
It is hardly necessary to stress the importance of a proper system of land registration. The importance of proper legal title to land is something to which Irish people are greatly attached. We have one of the highest rates of home ownership in Europe and for the vast majority of people the purchase of their own home ranks as their highest priority. In rural areas the need for accurate recording and registration of holdings is of great importance.
It is a tribute to those who work in the Land Registry and Registry of Deeds and the professional way in which business has been done over the years that public confidence in the institution has never wavered and that possession of title deeds verified by the Land Registry is accepted by all as valid proof of title.
Having practised as a solicitor I am aware of complaints that have been made of delays in the Land Registry in processing dealings and I was very pleased to learn as part of an overall briefing on the operations of my Department that delays have been substantially reduced in recent years. For example, in 1990 the average time for processing applications for registration was about six months. In April 1997 the average time was down to two months. Considering that since 1990 the annual number of transactions lodged in the Land Registry has increased from about 220,000 to about 300,000, the improvements can be clearly seen.
I want to take this opportunity to place on record the appreciation of all users of the registries — solicitors and the general public — for the work done by the Registrar of Titles and her staff and for the improvements which have taken place. It is appropriate for me now to pay tribute to the registrar and her staff for the high level of expertise, efficiency and competence which they bring to bear on their work. The fact that in 1980 there were 565 staff dealing with about 222,000 applications and that today there are 515 staff dealing with 300,000 applications bears ample testament to their selfless dedication and commitment. The service has improved and continues to improve. These improvements have taken place with the co-operation and wholehearted involvement of staff at all levels of the registries.
I would not want it thought that the improvements which have taken place represent the end of the matter: far from it. The registrar and her staff, with the interim board, have plans and proposals in place which will bring about further improvements and improve the service to the public. The Government is determined to ensure that progress is made in creating a customer driven environment in the public service in general and the achievements of the Land Registry and Registry of Deeds will be a headline for others to follow.
The future status of the registries has to be considered by the Government. In that context the interim board, registrar and staff, have done a great amount of work on proposals for a new status. I will be examining these proposals with a view to an early discussion with my colleagues in Government and as soon as a decision is taken I will make a public announcement of the Government's intentions.
The Land Registry operation in Waterford will involve about 140 staff transferring there to deal with work concerning Counties Kerry, Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Laois, Offaly, Carlow, Tipperary, Wexford and Kilkenny. The transfer of staff will take place on a phased basis beginning during August and completed by September. Staff are being trained at present and I know that the professional standards to which I have already referred will be maintained.
I am aware that some members of the legal profession are uneasy about the change and their concerns have been conveyed to me. I am satisfied that there will be no reduction in the level of service provided and that with the use of modern technology and means of communication difficulties can be kept to a minimum. The registrar has communicated regularly with members of the legal profession practising in the counties concerned to keep them informed of the position and I am sure that any teething problems which might arise will be promptly dealt with.
To those members of the legal profession who have expressed misgivings because of the possible inconvenience of travelling to Waterford rather than Dublin, can I say that I have no doubt that the policy of decentralisation is correct. While there might be some minor change to work patterns, I am fully satisfied that the benefits for everyone involved — staff moving to decentralised locations and existing communities — are enormous. The revitalisation of communities and the increased economic activity are extremely beneficial to all.
I invite anyone who has any doubts about this to visit my own constituency of Kerry South — where about 140 staff of the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform are based in Killarney — to see the operation there for themselves. The facilities there are first class and no difficulty has arisen with work being done there which was previously done in Dublin. I ask those people who have misgivings to co-operate fully with the change.
If there is any doubt about the willingness of civil servants to co-operate fully with decentralisation, the fact that over 1,000 applications for transfer to Waterford were received should dispel these doubts. It is my view that future decentralisation of parts of Government Departments from Dublin should take place and I intend to vigorously pursue opportunities for further decentralisations. Today is an extremely important and good day for Waterford. The economic and social fabric of the city and its environs will be improved as a result of the decision to decentralise there under this legislation.
I want to turn now to the details of the Bill itself, which is a short one. The main purpose of the Bill is to amend the Registration of Title Act, 1964, to provide the necessary legislative basis for the decentralisation of part of the Land Registry to Waterford. The law relating to the registration of land is governed by the 1964 Act, section 7 of which provides that there shall be a central office located in the county borough of Dublin and a local office in each county other than Dublin. This central office is to be the office for registration of all land in the State.
Following the Government's decision to decentralise certain operations of the Land Registry to Waterford it becomes necessary, in order to provide a clear legal basis for the move, to amend section 7 of the 1964 Act. The necessary amendments, which the Bill before the House will effect, will essentially provide for the establishment of constituent offices of the central office which will carry out the work currently performed by the central office under the 1964 Act. The result of this change will be that the functions currently carried out by the central office of the Land Registry will be regionalised through the establishment of constituent offices in Dublin and outside Dublin. While the Land Registry will continue to consist of a central office and local offices, the Bill's effect will be that the central office will not be a physical entity but will be made up of constituent offices, to be located in Dublin, and in any county so designated by an order made by me as Minister. This will permit the designation of Waterford as an area within which a constituent office may be located.
I will briefly deal with each section of the Bill. Section 1 amends section 7 of the 1964 Act in two respects. First, it substitutes a new subsection for subsection (1) to provide that the central office of the Land Registry will consist of one or more constituent offices to be located in Dublin and in any other area which the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform may, by order, designate. There will continue to be local offices in each county, other than Dublin, and any county where a constituent office is located. Second, it adds a new subsection, subsection (5), which gives the Minister the necessary power to make, or revoke, an order designating any county as an area within which a constituent office will be located. Because the Dublin office will service the greater Dublin area, there will be no need to establish a local office within any of the three administrative counties of South Dublin, Fingal or Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown. Neither will it be necessary to have one in any county where there is a constituent office.
Section 2 of the Bill deals with transitional provisions so that the central office of the Land Registry, currently located in Dublin in accordance with section 7 of the 1964 Act, will become a constituent office under the terms of the amended section 7. The section states that the central office of the Land Registry, which is located in the county borough of Dublin, will become, after the passing of this Bill, a constituent office or constituent offices of the central office in the county borough.
Section 3 of the Bill simply provides that the short title will be the Registration of Title (Amendment) Act, 1997, and also states that it will be construed as one with the 1964 Act.
Those are the terms of the Bill. It is a short Bill but an important one. Without it the proposed decentralisation of parts of the Land Registry to Waterford could have given rise to the need for cumbersome and expensive procedures to ensure compliance with the 1964 Act as regards the location of the central office. That would also have raised doubts about our commitment to genuine decentralisation by requiring certain operations in relation to the registration of land in the counties to be dealt with from Waterford to otherwise remain in Dublin. With this Bill we will ensure that there is genuine decentralisation and that there is a proper legal basis for it.
I commend the Bill to the House and I am confident that given the commitment, expertise and vigour of the staff involved, the decentralisation of part of the Land Registry to Waterford will be a success.