Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 208: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the fact that there is at least a six-month delay in mapping at the Property Registration Authority for County Galway; the reason there should be such a delay; if his further attention has been drawn to the adverse economic and social problems caused by such delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7112/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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In order to provide some background information I can inform the Deputy that the Digital Mapping Project in the Property Registration Authority (PRA) commenced in July 2005 and is due for completion this year. In April 2006 Phase 2 of the project (the digitisation of some 2.5 million individual registered boundaries) commenced on a county by county basis. Twenty two (22) counties are now fully live on the system, with County Tipperary due to be completed before the end of this month.

I am informed that digitisation of boundaries is currently at various stages in the remaining three (3) counties - Offaly, Waterford, and Galway. Galway is due for completion in mid-year. Before the process commences for each county a briefing session is organised for solicitors and other users in the area and this was done in respect of County Galway at a very well attended seminar on Friday 28 January 2010. At that meeting the time schedules were outlined, demonstrations were given and practical information on how to best use the new system was provided. The registered boundaries are plotted and quality assured before being loaded on to the PRA's computerised system and declared live. The changeover to digital mapping in County Galway will result in improved turnaround times for cases requiring mapping from the middle of this year and onwards.

The Deputy should note that approximately 70% of dealings lodged in respect of County Galway with the PRA do not require to be mapped and are not affected by the Digital Mapping Project at all. Regular progress reports on the project are also published on the PRA website which was last updated on the 24 December 2009.