The question of categories for the 2006 National Reserve will be decided in due course following consultations with the Single Payment Advisory Committee which comprises of representatives from the farming bodies, Teagasc, and officials from my Department.
It should be noted that the only mandatory category for 2006 will be Category A which caters for farmers who inherited land or received land free of charge or for a nominal sum from a farmer who had retired or died by 16 May 2005 and who had leased out his/her holding to a third party during the reference period 2000-2002. Category D (new entrants to farming) continues to be a non-mandatory category.
The time frame for allocations under the 2006 National Reserve will depend on the volume of applications to be processed.