Parliamentary questions

Insurance Coverage

Noel Grealish

254. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance the discussions that are ongoing between his Department and insurance companies regarding flood insurance cover for people whose homes flooded in the past. [4168/13]

Property Taxation Collection

Noel Grealish

255. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance when he proposes to provide for local property tax to be deductible from rental income; if he will clarify his statement that it will be introduced on a phased basis; if primary legislation or ministerial order is required, and if it is the former, the legislative vehicle that he will use; if he will also consider extending the expense status for the 2013 tax year only of the other local service charges for the remainder of their existence; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4171/13]

Tax Code

Noel Grealish

256. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider whatever legislative or ministerial order changes are required to allow individual private landlords to be considered as operating a business, rather than being treated as recipients of unearned income; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4172/13]

Tax Code

Noel Grealish

257. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider removing the interest restriction applying to private landlords who have taken out loans for the provision or upgrading of private rental property, in view of the fact that it can give rise to a taxable gain on a loss; his views that the restriction is unfair, especially as it only applies to private landlords and not to those operating formal businesses; if its continued application since its introduction in the April 2009 supplementary budget can be justified on grounds of tax inequality, notwithstanding that the estimated cost of removing the restriction is €95 million per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4173/13]

HSE Staffing

Noel Grealish

642. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health if the 2013 public sector redundancy scheme will be open to front-line health care workers in the Health Service Executive including nursing staff, nursing management, matrons; if they may apply for redundancy under this scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4169/13]

Dental Services Provision

Noel Grealish

688. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the reason a person with a full medical card is not covered for essential dental work under this medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4170/13]

Schools Building Projects Status

Noel Grealish

264. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools approved to go to construction in 2010, 2011 and 2012; the number of schools approved building extensions in 2010, 2011 and 2012; the number of each of these projects that have gone to consolidation over payment and the number of projects gone to arbitration over payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58158/12]

Turbary Rights

Noel Grealish

558. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 135 of 22 November 2012, all other factors being equal the commercial value placed on an acre of raised bog not under an SAC designation by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58156/12]

Hospital Equipment

Noel Grealish

998. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Health the reason the Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotriptor machine, which was purchased for UHG in February 2010 at a cost of €400,000 was never put into operational use for treating kidney stone patients, despite waiting lists at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58157/12]

Sports Capital Programme Applications

Noel Grealish

672. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a football club (details supplied) in County Galway was not successful in its recent application for a sports capital grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56279/12]

Sports Capital Programme Applications

Noel Grealish

673. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason a football club (details supplied) in County Galway were not successful in their recent application for a sports capital grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56280/12]

Farm Inspections

Noel Grealish

419. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine when payments of grants will issue to those who have had satellite inspections carried out on their farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55537/12]

Aquaculture Licences Applications

Noel Grealish

485. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will confirm if a letter was sent by Bord Iascaigh Mhara to him complaining about members of Inland Fisheries Ireland attending a public meeting in Galway on 14 November last; if so, if he will provide a copy of same to this Deputy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53721/12]

Road Projects Contracts

Noel Grealish

270. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if funding is still available for the new M17/M18 motorway; the date on which contracts will be signed for this project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53402/12]

Departmental Expenditure

Noel Grealish

135. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the value the State places on an acre of raised bog, which is not under a special area of conservation, the rate his Department will pay to purchase an acre of raised bog; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [51949/12]

Departmental Expenditure

Noel Grealish

531. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the budget for his Department; the amount of this budget that is used to run his Department; the number of staff employed by his Department; the total amount paid in wages to these staff; the amount of his Department budget that goes directly to farmers; the number of State boards under the control of his Department; the cost of administration and Director remuneration for these boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49531/12]

School Patronage

Noel Grealish

211. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the fact that there are currently 500 children in County Galway attending Educate Together primary schools and these numbers are set to increase significantly in the coming years, his plans to provide a post-primary Educate Together school in County Galway; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45785/12]

Fisheries Protection

Noel Grealish

116. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if eel fishing licences will be issued following the review of the eel fishing ban which was completed earlier this year; if not, whether compensation will be awarded to those who had eel fishing licences in the past; the EU directive regarding eel fishing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43835/12]

Local Authority Charges Application

Noel Grealish

140. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he has any difficulty with the provision in standard residential letting contracts whereby owners of private residential property can legally pass on local service charges such as the household charge and the non-principal private residence charge to tenants. [39904/12]

Household Charge Exemptions

Noel Grealish

149. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the rationale considered by him in preparing the Local Government (Household Charge) Act 2011 and the Local Government (Household Charge) Regulations 2012 which led to tenants of residential properties not being considered as having any liability for the local services to which the charge contributes through the local government fund. [39901/12]