1861. Deputy Charles Ward asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage the extent of the total application arrears and processing backlogs currently under management by Tailte Éireann; the exact volume of applications currently classified as pending or stuck in arrears from 2024, 2025 and to date in 2026; the specific measures being deployed to address the systemic "all-or-nothing" validation rejections and the friction caused by segmented inter-departmental reviews, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [62388/26]

Tailte Éireann is an independent Government agency under the aegis of my Department. Under section 8 of the Tailte Éireann Act 2022, Tailte Éireann is independent in the performance of its functions.

Tailte Éireann (TÉ) provides a system of registration of ownership of land in Ireland, delivers accurate, up-to-date valuations of commercial and industrial properties, and creates and maintains the definitive mapping records of the State. TÉ processes a diverse range of application types in the provision of its services to the public however, it is assumed for the purpose of providing response that the query relates specifically to applications lodged for registration of title on the National Land Register.

Information on applications pending Registration by year of lodgement with TÉ has been provided in tabular form below as requested. The details have been provided from 2022 to 2026 (to date) to be inclusive of the total number of applications currently pending, with the oldest pending application lodged in 2022. The applications are in various stages of processing and TÉ is actively engaged with the lodging parties of older applications to bring the applications to completion.

To note, in accordance with Rule 58(1) of the Land Registration Rules 2012-2021, applications rank for priority of registration in the order in which they are received by TÉ. This ensures fairness to all customers as applications are processed in date of lodgement order, with the earliest lodged applications given priority for processing. A targeted approach by TÉ to reduce the age profile of applications pending has had a significant impact to date and organisation wide efforts continue to further reduce processing times for all TÉ customers. This is reflected in the significant increase in the number of applications processed and completed year on year which can be seen in the details provided in tabular format below.

Dedicated Validation Units were established in late 2024 to address the high proportion of applications which were lodged with avoidable errors which prevented the application progressing to registration. It is important to note that there has been no change made to the reasons why an application is rejected. TÉ Registration complete initial validation checks within 15 working days of receipt of an application. The Validation Units provide an efficient and consistent validation experience for all applicants and ensures that applications meet the basic minimum requirements for lodgement prior to moving forward for processing.

The validation process involves passing each application through a series of predefined checks specific to the application type. Those checklists are all available on www.Tailte.ie. Where an application fails to meet the minimum requirements to proceed to registration, the application is returned immediately to the lodging party for amendment. Where the minimum requirements have been met, the application will pass through the validation unit and will be placed in date of lodgement order for processing in the Unit relevant to the application type. Clarifying queries may be raised during any of the processing stages following validation.

Once a reason for a rejection is noted by the Validation Unit, the application is returned to the lodging party with that reason outlined. The rejection letter advises the lodging party to refer to Registration and Mapping Guides and Checklists before re?lodging the application and to consult Land Registration Rules, Practice Directions and Legal Office Notices, all of which are available on www.tailte.ie. If the relevant checklist has been adhered to on re-lodgement, and the original defect remedied, the application will pass through the validation unit and on to processing.

Tailte Éireann, in collaboration with the Law Society, hosted a series of webinars in 2025, with video guides and recorded materials to assist lodging parties to prepare correct applications for lodgement with TÉ for registration purposes. The first webinar (October 1, 2025) focused on first registration applications and the second webinar (October 22, 2025) covered registered title and form 3 applications. The recordings are available to view on TÉ’s website: https://tailte.ie/video-guides-for-preparing-registration-application-forms/.

In 2026 to date, 36.9% of all applications lodged failed to meet the basic minimum requirements set out on the relevant checklists and have been returned to the lodging party for amendment. Lodgement of inaccurate or incomplete applications creates an administrative burden for TÉ. It is work that must be processed by staff and takes resources which could be better utilised in the efficient processing of applications which are lodged correctly. The onus is on the lodging party of an application to ensure that the application is in order and meets the requirements set out in the available checklists prior to lodgement.

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. Lodging parties may contact Tailte Éireann in relation to a specific case by email at info@tailte.ie.

Further information in relation to specific cases may be obtained by Oireachtas members by contacting the dedicated e-mail address in respect of Tailte Éireann at oireachtas@tailte.ie.

Additionally, Tailte Éireann intends to publicise information relating to received, processed and pending Land Registry applications, similar to that contained in the tables below, on its website, www.tailte.ie, which will be updated on a regular basis.

Land Register Applications Profile

Land Register Applications processed in each year