§ Mr. KELLYasked the Attorney-General for Ireland whether applications to discharge equities when lodged in the Registration of Title Office, Ireland, are strictly dealt with in the order in which they are received in the office; whether the authorities would have any objection to following a rule to that effect; whether he is aware that it is at present impossible to ascertain when a case may be dealt with; how many cases have been lodged from the county Dublin in the first half of the present year and how many from the county Tipperary in the same period; and can he explain why there is more delay in the Tipperary cases?
§ The ATTORNEY-GENERAL for IRELAND (Mr. Redmond Barry)I refer the hon. Member to my answer to his question on this subject on 7th July. As the result of further information, I now understand that the counties in Ireland are divided amongst the examiners, and the greater delay in dealing with the applications from any particular county is due to the comparatively larger number of cases in the division of which it forms part. That is the case of Tipperary as contrasted with Dublin. In each division the cases are taken in the order of lodgment, subject to exceptions for special reasons. Within the period mentioned in the question the number of applications from county Dublin and county Tipperary were seventeen and thirteen respectively. By the aid of the new examiner recently appointed it is hoped that the arrears will be rapidly disposed of.
§ Mr. KELLYDoes not the hon. Gentleman think a case has been made out for 2094 reconsideration, seeing it takes three times as long in one county than in another to get through a case?
§ Mr. REDMOND BARRYI am quite aware there has been some delay, but I am told it was unavoidable. A new examiner has recently been appointed, and I think the hon. Gentleman may rest assured the cases will be disposed of.