Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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514. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department will address the extraordinary length of time it takes to arrange conveyancing given it is causing issues with house purchases with one recent study showing 79% of auctioneers are experiencing conveyancing delays of between 10 and 25 weeks; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33477/21]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 provides for fundamental reform and modernisation of land law and conveyancing law and aims to simplify the law and the conveyancing process.

The Act, however, does not provide for the length of time it takes to arrange conveyancing. Such operational matters are under the remit of those members of the legal profession responsible for the legal work involved in buying and selling property. As the Deputy will appreciate, I have no role in such matters. I should also point out that under the Property Registration Authority (Transfer of Departmental Administration and Ministerial Functions) Order (S.I. 574 of 2017), the functions previously vested in the Minister for Justice and Equality under the Registration of Title Act 1964 have been transferred to the Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government with effect from 1 January 2018. 

However, more broadly I would like to add, as the Deputy may be aware, that the Justice Plan 2021 commits to reform of the legal sector.

In March, as provided for under section 34 of the Legal Services Regulation Act, Minister McEntee asked the Legal Services Regulatory Authority (LSRA) to prepare and submit a report within 18 months on the creation of a new profession of conveyancer.  The LSRA has been specifically asked to consider the potential of digital technology to reduce the cost and time in which it takes to carry out a conveyance. A public consultation process to be undertaken by the LSRA as part of this work, will give key stakeholders, including those who avail of conveyancing services, an opportunity to have their say.

This is an important step in continuing the process of legal services reform to reduce legal costs and provide greater choice for users of legal services.