Paul Connaughton Snr (Galway East, Fine Gael)
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Question 610: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when payment of the 2003 and 2004 headage grants, area based payments and special beef premium will issue to a person (details supplied) in County Galway; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10254/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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Payments under the 2003 and 2004 area-based compensatory allowance scheme were made to the person named on 11 March 2004 and 27 October 2004 respectively. The person named lodged two applications under the 2003 EU special beef premium scheme, one 18 February 2003, in respect of six animals and one on 19 May 2003, in respect of four animals. Payment in respect of five of the six animals applied on under the application dated 18 February 2003 has issued in full. Payment in respect of the remaining animal has been paid in full, to the person named under a previous application, dated 4 December 2002. Payment in respect of the four animals under the application dated 19 May 2003 has also issued in full. The person named did not apply under the 2004 EU special beef scheme. The person named is not an applicant under the 2003 or 2004 suckler cow premium schemes.

He also participated in 2003 extensification premium. On 10 June 2004, a payable order for €360 issued representing payment on the nine animals that had already qualified for payment of 2003 special beef premium on his holding. In addition, the person named also applied under the 2004 extensification premium scheme but since he did not lodge applications under the 2004 special beef premium or suckler cow premium schemes, he has no eligible animals on which a payment may be based.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 611: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures taken by her Department or which she intends to take regarding the calling into question by the European Court of Auditors report on Ireland of the aid granted to Coillte Teoranta's reconstitution of woodland after gale damage which they determined had been completed before the approval of the application by the forest service. [10262/05]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 612: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures taken by her Department or which she intends to take regarding the calling into question by the European Court of Auditors report on Ireland of the aid granted to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [10263/05]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 613: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures taken by her Department or which she intends to take regarding the calling into question by the European Court of Auditors report on Ireland of the aid granted to a person (details supplied) in County Mayo. [10264/05]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 614: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures taken by her Department or which she intends to take regarding the European Court of Auditors report on Ireland of the aid granted to a company (details supplied) in County Mayo. [10265/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 611 to 614, inclusive, together.

The Deputy is referring to Special Report No. 9, 2004 of the European Court of Auditors concerning forestry measures within rural development policy. This report related to EU-wide forestry measures and not those of Ireland as such. Individuals or companies are not mentioned in this report. The cases cited by the Deputy were the subject of confidential correspondence between the Court of Auditors and Ireland two years ago. This correspondence was in the nature of preliminary comment by the court and full responses were given by Ireland. The cases mentioned are not identified other than in the preliminary confidential exchange of views and in the circumstances it would not be appropriate to divulge the details. The court drew attention to the importance of respecting the confidentiality of the exchanges.

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 615: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures taken by her Department or which she intends to take in regard to the calling into question in a report of the European Court of Auditors of Ireland's failure to give social and environmental considerations equal weight to economic consideration and so implement sustainable forestry. [10266/05]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 616: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures taken by her Department or which she intends to take to ensure that the level of premium aid given to forestry applicants reflects the true loss of income from the land involved and not an inflated value as suggested by the European Court of Auditors report on Ireland. [10267/05]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 617: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures taken by her Department or which she intends to take to ensure that the level of premia payable to farmers for loss of income is paid only to those who have genuinely farmed the land previous to their application and are not, in fact, investors for whom there is no justification for obtaining the higher compensation, as noted by the European Court of Auditors report on Ireland. [10268/05]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 618: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the failures in checks and assessments of forestry funding in the European Court of Auditors report on Ireland and the measures she has taken or intends to take to rectify the matter. [10269/05]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 619: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the measures she has taken or intends to undertake to ensure there is a separation of duties of forest inspectors to eliminate the fact that forestry projects are approved and checked by the same person as stated in the European Court of Auditors report. [10270/05]

Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 620: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food if she will provide him with the correspondence between the Irish authorities and the European Court of Auditors during the discussions about the forestry audit report on Ireland. [10271/05]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 615 to 620, inclusive, together on the basis that they refer to issues arising in Special Report No. 9 of the European Court of Auditors concerning forestry measures within the European Union's rural development policy.

This report examines the implementation of the various EU forestry measures across all the member states, not only Ireland, and will be considered by the relevant committee in Brussels in that context. It does not fall to individual member states to respond.

With regard to the issues raised by the Deputy, sustainable forestry is the cornerstone of my Department's strategy for the sector. Ireland has been to the fore in implementing these principles.

On the question of premiums, I am satisfied that the rate paid is fully justified. Only applicants who fulfil the agreed eligibility requirements as farmers are paid the farmer rate of premium.

On controls, this area is kept under constant review and it is always possible to improve any system of controls. The current system is being fully examined in the context of the new IFORIS information technology programme to be introduced later this year.

On supplying a copy of relevant correspondence between the Irish authorities and the European Court of Auditors, this correspondence is of a confidential nature. It relates to the preliminary views of the court on a number of named individual cases, along with the responses of the Irish authorities in each instance. The court has drawn attention to the importance of respecting the confidentiality of this exchange. It is not, therefore, appropriate to provide this private correspondence relating to named individual cases.