Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
388. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the amount on an annual basis that the Land Registry has expended in respect of rental space for off-site file and document storage; if his attention has been drawn to delays in retrieving documents requested; and his plans to address this issue. [37124/22]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Property Registration Authority (PRA) which is under the aegis of my Department continued to provide essential services to support the property market throughout Covid-19 restrictions.
The procurement and payment of rent for off-site file and document storage space is a matter for the Office of Public Works (OPW).
In 2021, overall completions of applications had recovered to 90% of pre-pandemic levels. Notwithstanding this level of activity, there has been an accumulation of arrears in the period and currently ‘C’ applications for Copy Instrument requests, which are lodged by post with the PRA, are taking a number of weeks to complete.
It is recommend that the paperless 'P' process be used by Solicitors in all applicable cases, to ensure timely receipt of Copy Instruments. Under the paperless ‘P’ application process a copy of the Instrument is issued within 7 working days when the Instrument is readily available.
The PRA is always willing to act on requests from lodging parties to expedite an application pending in the Land Registry and every effort is made to expedite cases where valid grounds for urgency exist. Any ‘C’ application for Copy Instrument that is not eligible to be requested online using the ‘P’ application process can be expedited by way of a letter from the lodging party.
An Arrears Clearance Programme has been set in train by the PRA Management Board, and cross-organisational multidisciplinary teams have been established to focus on the elimination of delays across all business units. This programme, underpinned by project management discipline, envisages a radical, structured approach to implementation, with an emphasis on data analysis, innovation and business process improvement. The PRA intends to communicate this intent, and ongoing progress achieved, to both internal and external stakeholders.
