Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 248: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps taken to implement the recommendation contained in the All-Party Committee on the Constitution ninth progress report on property rights published in 2004 that all titles be registered by a specified date and auctioneers and estate agents be regulated by a State body; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34030/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The introduction of compulsory registration of title is already provided for under the Registration of Title Act 1964 (as amended). The position is that 3 counties were designated compulsory registration areas in 1970 (Carlow, Laois and Meath) and 3 more in 2006 (Longford, Roscommon and Westmeath). On 1 October 2008, six further counties — Clare, Kilkenny, Louth, Sligo, Wexford and Wicklow — became compulsory registration areas. This means that nine counties have become compulsory registration areas since publication of the 2004 Report.

The Property Registration Authority has been established under the Registration of Deeds and Title Act 2006. One of the principal functions of the Authority is to promote and extend the registration of ownership of land. The Authority's Strategy Statement 2008 — 2010 sets out a number of strategies designed to advance the completion of the Irish Land Register including the introduction of compulsory certification of title by solicitors and the extension of compulsory first registration on a phased county-by-county basis in line with the roll out of digital mapping.

My Department is in consultation with the Law Society, the Property Registration Authority and others on the development of a scheme for implementation of a system of compulsory registration in all the remaining counties.

The Government Legislation Programme published on 23 September 2008 provides for publication of the Property Services (Regulation) Bill during the current Dáil session. The Bill will establish the Property Services Regulatory Authority on a statutory basis. The primary task of the new Authority will be to maintain and improve standards in the provision of property services by auctioneers, estate agents and property management agents through a new licensing regime and a system for investigating and adjudicating on complaints against property service providers.