asked the Minister for Finance why, when solicitors' cheques are acceptable to the Revenue Commissioners for payment of stamp duties, the Land Registry inconveniences the legal profession by refusing to accept cheques for payment of Land Registry fees.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Land Registry Fees.
37.
Under the Land Registration Fees (No. 2) Order, 1966, Land Registry fees must be paid by means of Land Registry stamps. These stamps are available at the Stamp Office in the Four Courts, at the Custom House in Cork and at various post offices throughout Dublin city and county and guaranteed cheques are accepted in payment for them.
Is the Minister aware that this requires that people present themselves at a post office with the guaranteed cheques in order to purchase their stamps and these have then to be carried to the Land Registry? This requires people to join long queues of people purchasing stamps for other reasons. Would the Minister see to it that this ridiculous practice is ended and that solicitors' cheques are acceptable directly in the Land Registry without imposing this ludiccrous restriction, which only causes frustration and slows the speed at which the Land Registry is supposed to work?
I do not get the Deputy's point.
I shall put it this way: why on earth have people to queue up in a post office to purchase stamps for the Land Registry when sums amounting to hundreds of pounds— indeed, thousands of pounds—in stamp duties can be paid direct in the Revenue offices, for instance? Why cannot the same system obtain in the Land Registry?
Is the Deputy suggesting solicitors are too grand to queue with other people?
I am suggesting this is a waste of time for solicitors and for the staffs in solicitors' offices. All this achieves is delay and delay is something the Government are supposed to be endeavouring to remove in relation to the processes of the law. The present system causes delay and inconvenience for the general public in post offices.
Some Deputies are always trying to avail of the time of this House to improve their own private practices.
Further arising out of the Minister's reply, would the Minister say——
Delay is all the Deputy uses Question Time for.
The Minister does not trust the solicitors' profession in the Land Registry but solicitors' cheques for hundreds of pounds, for much greater amounts, are received in the Revenue offices for estate duty, and elsewhere.
(Cavan): If the Minister wants to get nasty, he can be told that he and other members of his Government are using this House for purposes connected with their businesses.
There is no need for anybody to get nasty. All I am asking is that the Land Registry would accept cheques instead of requiring people to buy stamps by the hundred to stick them on documents.
I am quite satisfied the existing machinery is adequate.
It conveniences the State but it inconveniences members of the public.
38.
asked the Minister for Finance the average number of transactions per day during law terms in the Stamp Office in the Four Courts; if he is aware that many hours are wasted by members and employees of the legal profession going to and from and waiting for service in that office; and if steps will be taken to abolish the need for all court and Land Registry fees to be paid in the one office.
During law terms the average number of transactions per day in the Stamp Office in the Four Courts was 418 in 1966. Almost half of these transactions could have been effected without attendance at that office. The only stamps which cannot be obtained elsewhere are impressed stamps denoting payment of certain High Court and Supreme Court fees and Official Arbitration (Land) stamps. Land Registry and Court Fee adhesive stamps are obtainable at those post offices in Dublin where they are in demand. These offices also stock pre-stamped District and Circuit Court forms requiring impressed stamps.
Is the Minister aware that the Post Office will on occasion refuse to sell Land Registry stamps on the basis that these stamps are available in the Stamp Office in the Four Courts and, as a result, people are obliged to queue, in many cases for as long as three-quarters of an hour, in order to purchase Land Registry stamps?
I am not so aware.
And, of course, the Minister could not care less because he is too lazy to change this antiquated system.