asked the Minister for the Environment if he is aware (1) of the chronic delay in the issue of deeds to purchasers of urban county council houses in County Donegal; (2) if the same delays occur in other counties; (3) the cause of the delays; and if he will take action urgently to remedy the situation.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - County Donegal Council Houses.
33.
The administration of tenant purchase schemes is primarily a matter for each local authority concerned, and I am not aware of any inordinate delays in the processing of purchase applications in County Donegal, nor, indeed, in any other county.
However I understand from inquiries made of the local authorities in Donegal that some delays have occurred in the finalisation of certain sales due to difficulties of an administrative nature connected with the registration of title. The authorities have indicated to me that these difficulties are being resolved, and it is expected that title deeds will be issued to purchasers in the near future.
Arising out of the Minister's reply, surely the Minister must have been informed as a result of his inquiries that delays are really just out of this world. There are delays of up to four years. While it is alleged that the registration of title is the difficulty and there are administrative difficulties as well it is most peculiar——
Would the Deputy ask a question?
Has the Minister not found from his inquiries that it is a most peculiar situation that four year delays are actually happening at the moment in the issue of title deeds for purchases completed, and, further, that in the same schemes operating under the same housing scheme even in regard to houses adjoining each other, one can find they have got title in the last year or two and the other is still waiting and being fobbed off with stories that aerial surveys have to be done in order to get a delineation of the plot? This is the situation that we have for a considerable time and I would ask the Minister to look further into it.
Donegal County Council, in common with the urban councils, have had a difficulty in obtaining the required ordnance survey maps for submission with the respective transfer orders to the Land Registry. This problem has been magnified by the number of sales involved. There are about 600 sales the majority of which are sales under the 1976 scheme. The Council hope that the situation will be resolved by Christmas.
Has the Minister any information or can he find out just how well founded is this suggestion of a statement by the council that aerial surveys are required before they can complete and make good the deeds of title of many of the houses now in the hands of purchasers, some for the past four years?
I shall make inquiries and I shall let the Deputy know.