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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
as the case may be.
The Land Registry
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
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.
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