A new report has warned that the Registry of Deeds building in Dublin is no longer suitable for use.
The report, commissioned by the Department of Justice, says the Registry of Deeds building in the King's Inns in Henrietta Street, which houses nearly five million important legal documents, is unsuitable for the long-term protection and preservation of the important archive.
The Registry of Deeds is responsible for the safe custody of almost 5,000,000 deeds lodged since the Registry was established in 1707.
The archive also holds the signatures of a broad range of famous and influential individuals, including Wolfe Tone, Charles Stewart Parnell and Daniel O'Connell.
The records were found by PA Consultants to be deteriorating from a combination of age, public use and environmental factors.
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Michael McDowell said the consultants recommended that a new location be found for the archive and that the documents be electronically scanned. This, he said, would help protect them and improve access.
"I am keen to develop this proposal further and to take the necessary steps now to protect this resource for future generations," the Minister said.
"Moreover, a project of this nature would complement . . . other measures . . . including the establishment of a new Property Registration Authority, the reform of land and conveyancing law and ultimately the introduction of e-conveyancing."
To offset the costs of scanning and relocation, Mr McDowell said the building, which is an architecturally significant Gandon-designed home, could be sold by the Office Of Public Works.
