Men's Sheds

Tuesday, 4 July 2023

Questions (738, 739)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

738. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will introduce an annual men’s shed sustainability grant system. [32602/23]

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739. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development if he will provide resources and or a grant in order for an organisation (details supplied) to develop a role for a national organiser. [32603/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Rural and Community Development

I propose to take Questions Nos. 738 and 739 together.

My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Men's Sheds, depending on the works being completed.

Last November, I was delighted to announce funding of €800,000 to support Men’s Sheds throughout the country with running costs, such as electricity and insurance bills. The individual grants were distributed to the Men’s Sheds via its representative body, the Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA). My Department is currently awaiting a full report of all expenditure details from the IMSA.

Separately, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) has provided supports to 275 Men’s Sheds since 2018, with small grants totalling over €191,000 awarded to 117 Men’s Sheds. This support is still available through SICAP.

My Department also funded the Irish Men’s Sheds Association under the COVID-19 Stability Funding in 2020. They distributed €70,424 equally among their member sheds to support the organisations to continue to deliver services despite the challenges brought by COVID-19.

The Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of national, community and voluntary organisations. The current iteration commenced on 1 July 2022 and will operate until 30 June 2025. The Irish Men’s Sheds Association has been allocated total funding of €243,158 over the three year period of the scheme.

And finally, Men's Sheds were eligible to apply for funding under the Community Support Fund (CSF) that was announced last November under the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP). The €10 million CSF was set up to help small community groups with their energy/running costs but also to provide funding for small capital works projects. The CSF is now closed and details of successful Men’s Sheds is available at www.gov.ie/DRCD. Since 2018, over €2 million in funding was allocated to Men’s Sheds under the CEP.

While there is likely to be a new iteration of the CEP in late 2023, the exact scope is yet to be determined. Groups are encouraged to engage with their Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), Local Development Companies and Public Participation Networks (PPN) to ensure they are aware of funding opportunities as they become available.

Question No. 739 answered with Question No. 738.