An environmental scheme to help farmers maintain the heritage of Ireland's rural landscape and the environment has been launched.
The Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, launched the scheme, known as REPS, near the horse show this morning.
The scheme, which will provide over €400m annually for the next seven years, is co-funded by the EU.
This is the fourth round of the scheme which was introduced in 1994. Some 60,000 farmers have been taking part in REPS.
The scheme encourages farmers to enhance the environment through a range of actions including reduced use of fertilizers and pesticides, contributing to lower greenhouse gas emissions, as well as improved water quality.
It also assists in maintaining existing hedgerows and planting new ones, growing crops to provide food for wild birds and preserving traditional breeds of animals.
