Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, announced the opening of the Animal Welfare and Nutrient Storage Scheme, under new Targeted Agricultural Modernisation Scheme (TAMS III) last week. It is now open for applications.

TAMS provides funding for capital investments on farms and will be in place for five years with a budget of €370m. This round of TAMS includes equine investments for the first time.

It will assist all eligible farmers to improve equine housing, training facilities and fencing. Minister McConalogue and Minister Martin Heydon were pictured at the Kildare yard of international show jumping rider and producer Nicola FitzGibbon.

Applications can be made through www.agfood.ie