asked the Minister for Justice if the Land Registry are showing a financial surplus on their operation; and if he will consider converting the Land Registry into an autonomous public corporation.

The Land Registry fees were last increased with effect from 1 March 1984. The table below sets out the income and expenditure of the Land Registry together with the difference in the years since that increase.

As the Deputy is no doubt aware, the Land Registry is required by law to be self-supporting. The relevant legislative provision is section 14 (2) of the Registration of Title Act, 1964. Perhaps I ought to add that the figures for "expenditure" shown in the table above do not include any provision for the costs incurred on the Vote for the Office of the Minister for Justice in the administration of the Land Registry. Neither do they include any element for accommodation in the Four Courts complex. These would, of course, have to be estimates. Were they to be included the result would be that deficits rather than surpluses would have been incurred in some of the years listed.

I have no plans for converting the Land Registry into an antonomous public corporation.