asked the Minister for Justice on what statistical or other basis he has selected the counties in which he will establish new district probate registries under the Succession Act; if he will give details of how the sum of £64,240, as the estimated total cost in a full year of the maintenance of additional district probate registries to be established under the Succession Act, is made up; whether such sum includes an amount for additional salaries, allowances, or other emoluments to be paid to the county registrars concerned or to members of the staffs of their offices; and, if so, if he will state the respective proportions thereof applicable to additional remuneration of any kind for (a) county registrars, and (b) other members of Circuit Court office staffs.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - District Probate Registries.
Mr. Barrett
The answer to the first part of the question is that the places at which the eight new District Probate Registries are to be established were decided upon after due consideration of how best the country as a whole could be provided with local facilities, regard being had to the situation of the six existing Registries which are being retained. I am satisfied that the placing of the new Registries has been arranged to the best advantage and that, together with the existing Registries, they will give the public and legal profession throughout the provinces reasonable access to a local Registry, without incurring the substantial additional cost of establishing one in each county.
As to the second part, the estimated annual expenditure already given by me in a previous reply is £6,240—not £64,240 as stated in the question. It represents the anticipated salary cost of providing additional clerical assistance in the Circuit Court offices with which the new Registries will be associated for staffing purposes. The answer to the third part of the question is therefore in the negative and the fourth part does not arise.