The Gazette 1972

Increased Court Fees Following a full and detailed examination of the fees chargeable in court offices, I made orders which came into effect on 19th October, 1970, increasing certain fees chargeable in the offices of the Supreme Court and the High Court and increasing generally the fees chargeable in the offices of the Circuit and District Courts. The fees chargeable in the Office of the Official Assignee in Bankruptcy were substantially reduced and rationalised. Apart from some minor adjustments neces- sary because of the advent of decimalisation, no increases were made in the fees chargeable in the Probate Office and in the district probate registries. Moreover, the additional revenue fee of 1/- hitherto charged on an official copy of a will was abolished by the Finance Act, 1970, so that the existing Probate fee of 25p for an official copy of a will is now the total fee payable. All court fees may now be paid either by impressed stamps of by adhesive stamps. Previously, impressed stamps were mandatory in certain cases. This caused inconvenience to solicitors who had to keep stocks of those documents that required impressed stamps. Country solicitors, in particular, were inconvenienced as there were no facilities outside Dublin for impressing stamps on documents. I should like to draw attention to the fact that, under the Courts Act, 1971, fees now payable by litigants generally will be substantially less by reason of the fact that a significant number of proceedings that have to be taken in either the Hight Court or the Circuit Court will, under the new legislation, fall within the juris- diction if either the Circuit Court or the District Court With regard to the Land Registry, there has been a continuing upward trend in recent years in the intake- of work. For example, the number of applications for changes in registration increased from 38,000 in 1970 to 46,200 in 1971 and, since the end of 1971, the rate of incease has accelerated sharply. On the basis of the current intake, it is estimated that the number of dealings lodged in the calendar year 1972 will be in the region of 58,000. This represents an increase of -53 per cent as compared with 1970, and creates serious diffi- cuties as regards the provision of an efficient service to the public. On 1st January, 1970, the compulsory reg stration provisions of the Registration of Title Act, 1964, were brought into operation in respect of the Counties Carlow, Laois and Meath. What this means, in effect, is that whenever unregistered property is sold in these counties the new ownership must be registered. The bulk of agricultural land in this country is already registered and, accordingly, the impact of the new provisions is mainly on urban properties. The question of extending the area of compulsory registration is one which I shall consider in due course of the light of experience. Arrears in the Land Registry Deputies will be aware that for some years now there have been problems in the Land Registry in connection ^ith arrears of work. These arrears have been due to a number of factors, including increases in the volume of ^ork, shortage of accommodation, staffing and organi- sational difficulties. I am glad to say that the accom- modation problems have been solved for the present. Reorganisation proposals which are in the process of °f being implemented will, I hope, solve the other as the case may be. The Land Registry

problems. The reorganisation, which was recommended by a study group set up to review the organisation and procedures in the Land Registry, involves a change from the traditional structure of the Registry, which was based on a division of the work into various sub- functions, each of which was dealt with by a group of staff. The system now being implemented calls for a division of the work by reference to geographical areas. Each area is given its own group of staff and an application to register a change of ownership made by a person in a particular area is processed from start to finish by a group dealing with that area. At the time of the debate on my Department's Estimates for 1969-70, two such groups had been set up on a pilot basis. We now have 11 groups operating. The possibility of increasing the number of groups is being examined having regard to the steep increase in the volume of work nbw being experienced. Already there are indications that the new procedures have in fact led to an improvement in efficiency. However, I am still extremely concerned about the arrears in the Land Registry and, in particular, about the Mapping Branch, The introduction of an incentive bonus scheme helped to reduce the mapping arrears considerably during 1970, but a marked increase in the intake of work, combined with staffing difficulties, led to worsening of the position during 1971. Delays in the Mapping Branch can and do lead to considerable diffi- culties in effecting registration. The Study Group have made recommendations for the reorganisation of the Mapping Branch and every effort is being made to have the necessary improvements effected at an early date so that an efficient service to the public will be provided. Another matter which the study group examined is the system of paying for the services which the Land Registry renders. It is not always realised that even in money terms the Registry is quite a substantial business —one with an annual turnover of more than £400,000. The group have made recommendations for the intro- duction of a system of payment by cash rather than by Revenue stamps. This would be more convenient for most solicitors. The recommendations are at present under examination and I hope to be able to have a detailed system worked out in the near future and brought into operation as soon as possible. The study group are continuing their work. The Registry of Deeds and Charitable Donations There has also been a general increase in the volume of work arising in the Registry of Deeds. The number of deeds registered has gone up from just over 34,000 in 1969 to almost 36,500 last year—a trend which shows every sign of continuing in the present year. Finally I wish to refer briefly to the (Mice of Charit- able Donations and Bequests. The last report which the commissioners made to me is in respect of the year 1970. Cash totalling £40,744 and stocks to the nominal value of £861 were transferred to the commissioners during that year and at the end of the year the nominal value of investments standing in their name was some £2,253,000. The Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests give their services voluntarily and their extremely valuable work is quite onerous. We should be grateful to them. It is one of the most encouraging things in public life that so many people are prepared to devote their valuable time and expertise as well as their leisure hours to work of national importance. 175