The Gazette 1967/71

Land Registry is provided for in a recent enact– ment of the Oireachtas, namely, the Registration of Title Act, 1964, which came into operation on 1st January of this year. "The Central Office is the office for the regis– tration of all land in the State. The functions of the local offices are as prescribed by the Rules made by the Registration of Title Rules Commit– tee, with my concurrence. Each local office pro– vides separate registers of freehold and leasehold land registered in the particular county. The Local Registrar transmits to and receives from the Central Office documents connected with registration. The local office is a very valuable facility for registered owners and their solicitors in that they may inspect the registers of land in their area and also lodge with the local office all applications in connection with registration. "I see no reason to alter a policy and practice which have existed since the registration of title system was first introduced in 1892. Mr. P. O'Donnell asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware that under the Land Registration Fees (No. 2) Order, 1966, the fee for a search made in the Land Registry by telegram or tele– phone under Rule 196 of the Land Registration Rules, 1966, has been increased from 2/6 to £1 10s., thus adding to the already heavy fees pay– able under the Land Registry Acts; and, if so, if he will have the said order amended to substan– tially reduce the fee. Mr. B. Lenihan : "No increase in a Land Regis– try search fee such as that alleged by the Deputy has, in fact, occurred. The fee of £1 10s. referred to is in respect of an official search, made on the basis of an application by telegram or telephone, that is to say, an authorised and authoritative search carried out by officials of the Land Registry the result of which is confirmed in writing by the Registry and the reliability of which is guaranteed by the State. The fee for an unofficial or personal search made by an applicant himself is 2/6, but at no time in recent years has the fee for any official search been as low as this figure. "However, there is a long-standing and infor– mal arrangement in the Central Office of the Land Registry and in some, but not all, of the local offices whereby solicitors are facilitated by having their telephone inquiries treated as per– sonal searches, for which the fee of 2/6 is charged. In such cases no written confirmation of the result of the search is sent by the Registry and, in the event of error in such a search, no claim against the Compensation Fund can be entertained. The search is in no sense an official search the reli–

ability of which is guaranteed : and the practice in the Central Office, and in some of the local offices, has no statutory authority to sustain it. I am having the position in regard to these non- official searches fully examined." HOUSING AUTHORITIES (LOAN CHARGES CONTRIBUTIONS AND MANAGEMENT) REGULATIONS, 1967 (S.I. 71) (Loan Charges Contributions) Regulations, 1932 to 1962, and provide for the cost limits on which contri– butions to loan charges may be made by the Minister for Local Government under Section 44 of the Housing Act, 1966, including new limits in respect of money borrowed by a housing auth– ority for the provision of building sites and dwel– lings in buildings of six or more storeys. The regulations lay down conditions as to building standards, rents and the disposal by housing authorities of houses, building sites and other land, subject to which the contributions will be payable by the Minister. Section 46 of the Housing Act, 1966, enables the Minister to reduce, suspend or discontinue the payment of these contributions where an authority fails to observe these conditions. The regulations also repeal the Housing (Man– agement and Letting) Regulations, 1950 and 1953, with the exception of the provisions speci– fying the priorities to be followed by housing- authorities in the letting of houses. These priorities will cease to apply to lettings by an authority on the coming into force of the authority's own scheme of priorities under section 60 of the Hous– ing Act, 1966. The regulations also incorporate the conditions subject to which lettings of dwel– lings may be made by housing authorities, in– cluding a condition permitting an authority to consent to sub-tenanting. The fee to accompany an appeal to the Minister under Section 106 of the Act, dealing with the structural condition of dwellings on their sale or lease by a housing authority, and the form of transfer order for the sale or lease of dwellings under Section 90 of the Act are also prescribed. These regulations repeal the Housing

LONG TAX PROSECUTIONS

The Court of Appeal when it dismissed appeals by four men and two companies trading in tran– sistor radio sets against convictions on charges involving conspiracy to evade purchase tax and