Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 December 2014
87. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an up to date report on the proposed merger of the Valuation Office, Property Registration Authority and Ordnance Survey Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47479/14]
View answer116. Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding the proposed merger of the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47483/14]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 87 and 116 together.
The merger of the Property Registration Authority, Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland has been mandated by the Government under the Agency Rationalisation Programme. A Project Board, comprising senior representatives of the three Departments concerned along with the Chief Executive Officers of the three Agencies, is overseeing the merger. The CEO Designate of the merged body, who acts as Project Manager for the merger, was appointed from 1 July 2013. It is anticipated that Ministerial responsibility for the Valuation Office and Ordnance Survey Ireland will be transferred to the Minister for Justice & Equality in due course.
Full implementation of the merger of the three organisations to form a new organisation to be called Tailte Eireann will require primary legislation. I intend to publish the General Scheme of the Tailte Eireann Bill early in the new session and to proceed as quickly as possible thereafter to enactment of the legislation.
The merger of the Valuation Office, Ordnance Survey Ireland and the Property Registration Authority provides an opportunity for more efficient and cost-effective delivery of land, spatial data and property administration services. Savings in the short to medium term are anticipated from the consolidation of common back office functions such as Human Resources, conventional ICT systems, Financial Management and a potential reduction in the cost of accommodation and software licensing. In the longer term, more efficiencies/synergies may be achievable in operational areas and through the exploitation, including where possible commercialisation, of combined data sets.
