Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I do not believe that the Central Fund should always be resorted to in order to improve services. After all, the beneficiaries of improved services are the users. Delays at the Land Registry cost nothing for those who have no property, but they are an expense, inconvenience and a problem for those who want to progress with conveying property.

The setting up of the registration authority should have no cost implications worth speaking of. However, the general principle should apply that the property registration authority should be self-financing and should have a financial regime that covers its overheads, pension overhang and so forth. That is the correct way to run a State service, which is of necessity a monopoly because unless one were very radical, this service is not one that could be open to competition — competing registries is not a good idea. It is one thing to have competing airports, but we could not have competing registries.