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Department of Justice,
76 St. Stephen's Green,
(Dublin, 2)
19 Feabhra, 1970
A Chara,
I am directed by the Minister for Justice to refer to
your letter of 29 January, 1970, and enclosed copy of a
letter dated 22 January, 1970, from the Athone Chamber
of Commerce, regarding delays in the Land Registry.
I am to enclose for your information an extract from
the Minister's speech on the Department's estimates,
delivered in Dail Eireann in November, 1969, which
speaks for itself.
Pending completion of the reorganisation of the Office,
everything possible is being done to clear the backlog of
work and to keep abreast of the current intake of business:
the maximum possible amount of overtime is being
worked and a special arrears clearance premium scheme
has been introduced to deal with arrears in the Mapping
Branch.
Mise, le meas,
S. O'BUACHALLA.
The Secretary,
Incorporated Law Society of Ireland,
Solicitors' Buildings,
Four Courts,
Dublin, 7.
LAND REGISTRY AND REGISTRY OF DEEDS
65. Estimate No. 24 is that for the Land Registry and
Registry of Deeds. The figure of £313,000 for the
year 1969/70 represents a decrease of £4,000 as
compared with 1968/69. The decrease is accounted
for mainly by the replacement of senior by junior
officers.
66. As mentioned last year, the volume of business
coming into the Land Registry has resumed its
progressively upward trend. Business, in almost all
the various categories handled by the Registry
increased in 1968. Dealings, for example, rose from
34,693 in 1967 to 40,514 in 1968.
67. In the case of the Registry of Deeds the number of
registrations again increased in 1968, the number
being 34,201 as compared with 29,466 in 1967. Appli
cations for searches also continued to increase, the
figure being 6,235, as compared with 5,465 in 1967.
68. There is no need for me to stress the importance of
of the service to the community provided by the Land
Registry. Deputies will be well aware of its wide
spread ramification in our economic activities. The
figures I have just quoted will serve to show how
necessary it is that the Land Registry should be
organised to cope with what will, by all indications,
be a continuing growth in the demands for its services.
69. I mentioned last year that, on my appointment as
Minister for Justice, I decided to accord top priority
to the improvement of the service which, as Deputies
know, has not been satisfactory for some years. As
I said then, I arranged for a critical examination of
the organisation and procedures in the Registry. This
examination is being vigorously undertaken by a special
study group whch I set up for the purpose. The group
has already submitted 3 reports containing recom
mendations, which I have accepted, and I am glad to
say that considerable progress had been made towards
the implementation of these recommendations.
70. The changes that are being made in the organisational
structure of the office as a result of these recommend
ations are so fundamental and far-reaching that
Deputies may be interested in a brief outline of them.
The traditional organisational structure of the Land
Registry has been based on a horizontal stratification
of functions. In practice, this meant that groups of
staff at different levels were dealing, more or less in
isolation, with different facets of the work of the
office. A study of the effects of this compartmentali-
sation of functions revealed a wasteful multiplication
of handling actions and the absence of a sense of
commitment and achievement, which resulted in
inefficiency. It became evident that a structural
reorganisation was necessary so as to effect a closer
integration of functions. This is now being effected
by the introduction of a system whereby, for example,
a dealing is processed from beginning to end by a
unified section of staff under a single senior officer.
Each section will have responsibility for land in a
particular area of the country. Two such sections
have been established on a pilot basis, and it is
already clear that production has been significantly
improved. This system will be extended throughout
the Registry as soon as the staffing structure can be
adapted to the task.
71. As has been reported to the House on various occa
sions, one of the principal difficulties besetting the
Land Registry is the recruitment and maintenance of
adequate staff to deal with the ever growing volume
of business. The study group addressed themselves to
this problem and have recommended a grading struc
ture which, combined with inbuilt systems of profes
sional training and advancement, is much better
suited to the specialised nature of the Land Registry's
functions. The recommended structure is designed to
make a cereer in the Land Registry more attractive,
thereby encouraging recruitment and preserving for
the Office its experienced staff. The details of the
proposed staff reorganisation are at present being
worked out. I am, of course, anxious that such a
reorganisation of the staff structure should have the
fullest regard to the interests of the serving staffs, and
it is my intention, as soon as these proposals have
been crystallised from the management point of view,
to arrange for full discussions with the Staff Side
before they are implemented.
72. One of these areas in which bottle-necks have been
continually arising is the Mapping Branch of the
Land Registry. On the recommendation of the study
group, I made arrangements for the secondment to
the Land Registry of a highly experienced officer from
the Ordnance Survey office. This officer, who has
taken temporary control of the Branch, has already
recommended some very worthwhile changes in the
Mapping procedures, which will serve to expedite the
discharge of applications for copy maps and of deal
ings involving the services of the Mapping Branch.
He is continuing to study the organisation of the
Branch in order to equip it to deal efficiently and
expeditiously with the growing demands made upon it.
Where, and to such extent as, his recommendations
will affect the staffs interests, I will arrange before
they are implemented, to consult fully with the
Staff Side involved.
75. The study group is continuing to examine in depth
the detailed procedures of the office. Indeed, it is my
intention that these procedures will be kept con
stantly under review with a view to any improve-
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