Parliamentary questions

Sea Lice Controls

Noel Grealish

1210. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he cancelled the pilot project to improve sea lice investigation control efficiency in the marine farming sector in Ireland, which was agreed on the advice of senior officials on 21 July 2010 as part of the SEA process of the Aquaculture Operational Programme and was to be 100% funded by the European Union under Article 41 of the EFF, and reversed the decision not to increase the targets for farmed salmon production until a sustained period of sea lice control has been demonstrated by the industry by awarding funding to and instructing Bord Iascaigh Mhara to develop salmon farming and specifically to apply for a licence to double Ireland’s farming salmon production; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38104/13]

National Procurement Service Framework Agreements

Noel Grealish

318. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if a directive has been issued to primary and post-primary schools requiring that they purchase all stationery-paper from an Office of Public Works-selected company, identified through the public procurement process or may they purchase from local suppliers using best value for money; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30198/13]

School Funding

Noel Grealish

118. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of funding that has been provided by his Department to a school (details supplied) since the school was opened; if he will provide a breakdown of this funding per year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28732/13]

Public Procurement Contracts Tenders

Noel Grealish

175. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will investigate the full cost of the public procurement scheme and the effect this has on small businesses here which are not in a position to tender or supply goods to local authorities, schools and other Government bodies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29399/13]

Aquaculture Licences Applications

Noel Grealish

826. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the Marine Institute has carried out an independent review of the BIM Environmental Impact Study of the proposed fish farm for Galway Bay; the name of the scientist or scientists involved; if the review will be published; the timeframe for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27728/13]

Health and Safety Regulations

Noel Grealish

122. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the way the safety, health and welfare at work regulations, due to be in force from 1 June, will affect the owners of buy-to-let properties who wish to upgrade; the reason these regulations apply to small domestic projects; if any small buy-to-let or domestic building work is excluded and, if so, the criteria for such exclusion; if he will accept that when a house owner, whether domestic or buy-to-let, engages a builder, the expectation is that the builder alone has the expertise to comply with the regulations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26424/13]

Charities Regulation

Noel Grealish

167. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 298 of 7 May 2013 regarding the regulation of charity collectors, the reason there is a delay in the implementation of the Charities Act; the financial reasons for the delay; the reason there is a delay in the creation of the register of charities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24941/13]

Air Services Provision

Noel Grealish

266. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if an investigation of additional charges associated with airline travel, including bag charges, credit card fees, and so on is being carried out at an EU level by him as part of the Irish Presidency of the EU; if so, from what perspective it will be investigated, for example competition/ consumer rights/law; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24522/13]

Housing Assistance Payments Implementation

Noel Grealish

198. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will ensure that the proposed housing assistance payment which will replace rent supplement will continue to be paid while a case is being heard by the Private Residential Tenancies Board, even if a landlord's termination notice has expired, in view of the fact that it is necessary to have a termination notice in order for the PRTB to hear the case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23413/13]

Road Projects Issues

Noel Grealish

738. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the motorway from Gort to Tuam, which is due to go to construction shortly, under PPP will not be a toll road; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22512/13]

Property Taxation Exemptions

Noel Grealish

53. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Finance the way deferral of local property tax and the subsequent 4% charge will be of any benefit to those qualifying persons already in debt distress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21930/13]

Charity Clothes Bank Thefts

Noel Grealish

298. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the penalties that apply for those convicted of theft from charity bring banks; if he is considering strengthening the laws in this area, in view of the significant loss of revenue this theft causes to charities; if he intends to regulate charity collectors who call door to door to collect for charities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21458/13]

Sea Lice Controls

Noel Grealish

323. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the years that the lice control protocols have been in place for salmon cage installations, the number of cases in which there has been legal action or financial penalties brought against salmon cage operators that repeatedly fail to keep to the required levels; the penalties that can be imposed by his Department for such breaches; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21108/13]

Sea Lice Controls

Noel Grealish

324. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason data of lice levels relating to salmon cage installations is only available from the Marine Institute two to three years after the event; if the data can be made publicly available within a month; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21109/13]

Sea Lice Controls

Noel Grealish

325. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if treatment levels are set at 0.5 lice per salmon in salmon cage installations, regardless of numbers of salmon in cages; in view of the fact that there will be at least 7.2m salmon in the proposed cages in Galway Bay, will the same treatment level take account of this number of fish and that consequently the levels of lice from these salmon breeding and proliferating, will be catastrophic to any wild salmon or sea trout traversing the bay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21110/13]

Broadcasting Legislation

Noel Grealish

361. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the way the proposed public broadcasting household charge will be levied on users in the case of a rental property; if it is expected that the owner or tenant of a rental property will be the liable person; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20134/13]

Aquaculture Licences Numbers

Noel Grealish

477. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of current valid licences that are in issue from his Department for salmon cage installations in counties Mayo, Galway and Clare; if all of these licences are being actively used; the person responsible for the maintenance of salmon cages; if these cages-installations are inspected by his Department's officials on a regular basis; if he will provide a copy of the conditions of these licences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20132/13]

Offshore Islands

Noel Grealish

408. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will indicate the amount spent on the two airports, Cleggan and Inishbofin, County Galway, by the Exchequer since they were created; if he has plans to provide funding to finish these two airports; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19083/13]

Local and Community Development Programme Project Funding

Noel Grealish

420. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government his views on the restrictions that exist for membership of the State funded Inishbofin Development Company Limited (details supplied); if he is satisfied to allow this situation to exist despite several islanders feeling excluded by the criteria that has been imposed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19082/13]

Aquaculture Development

Noel Grealish

1066. Deputy Noel Grealish asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the effect that there have been disease outbreaks in a number of salmon cage installations along the west coast, one of which is amoebic gill disease; if he will give details of the locations of these outbreaks and whether the disease has caused high mortalities and the closure of open salmon cage installations; if the treatment of the disease prevents the management of lice levels, in view of the fact that the fish will not feed and be able to take medication; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17488/13]