Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 December 2025
231. Deputy Naoise Ó Muirí asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the average wait time for each land registration involving Tailte Éireann; the number of staff working under the agency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [70559/25]
View answerTailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Tailte Éireann provides a property registration system, property valuation service, and national mapping and surveying infrastructure for the State. Under Section 8(6) of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022. Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions.
In 2023, a request for a planned increase in the pay-bill subhead of Tailte Éireann’s Vote was supported by my Department and subsequently granted in the Estimates for 2024. As part of Tailte Éireann’s resourcing strategy, the Accelerated Recruitment Programme was launched in early 2024 to address the high volume of vacancies and strengthen operational capacity in response to increasing service demands.
The programme introduced standardised recruitment processes, across internal, external, and mobility routes, to ensure consistent and efficient staffing. Since its launch in February 2024, the Tailte Éireann resourcing team have focused on filling 147 priority roles and a further 321 vacancies (including 182 within the Registration function) have been filled across Tailte Éireann through a combination of new hires, promotions, and mobility placements. The remaining active Tailte Éireann vacancies are currently progressing through various stages of the recruitment cycle, with a target to reduce overall vacancy levels across Tailte Éireann to approximately 3% by end Q4 2025. Tailte Éireann has advised that there are currently 1,014 officers within the organisation as of 5 December 2025.
Outside of recruitment, every effort is being made by Tailte Éireann to further reduce application processing times including implementation of the following efficiency driving measures:
• Revised procedures for more efficient handling of the large volume of applications which are lodged that are not in order to proceed to registration.
• Targeted approach to reduce the age profile of applications pending registration.
• Revised internal processes aimed at reducing the volume of applications on hand which are not in order to proceed.
• An organisation-wide focus on reducing processing times with business process improvements now implemented across the organisation.
The continued increase in applications received for registration by Tailte Éireann year over year, and challenges in recruitment for some time now, have resulted in longer processing times for certain application types. It is understood from Tailte Éireann that where an application is lodged fully in order for registration, the application will be registered without any long delay.
Applications for registration which involve a transfer, charge or release of registered lands, where no change to the registry map is required, are in the main processed within 15 working days where the application is lodged in order.
eRegistration applications account for approximately 18% of all applications. eDischarges are typically processed within 2 working days, while other eRegistration applications, such as eCharging Orders (under the Nursing Home Support Scheme), eTransfers, and eCharges are generally processed within 10 working days, provided the application is in order.
Processing times for applications which do require a change to the map, and those requiring first registration of property, are improving due to implemented process improvements and targeted recruitment campaigns outlined above.
It is not possible to provide an average wait time for each registration type as each application is different, and processing times vary as a result. It is also not possible to determine whether any delay in a particular case is, or is not, reasonable without knowing the history of progression of the case. In cases where any delay in registration could have a potential impact, Tailte Éireann makes every effort to expedite applications which are in order, where valid grounds exist, and where doing so does not impose a conflict in regard to priority given to any prior lodged dealing.
As Minister, I am confident that as the required complement of staff is successfully trained, Tailte Éireann will be in a position to achieve its goal of reducing waiting times across all registration services.
