Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for her informative reply. I am pleased to hear there is a national body co-ordinating body for men's sheds projects which is funded under the scheme to support national organisations in the community and voluntary sector. However, I wonder how effective it has been in responding to new organisations that are seeking to establish themselves. It certainly seems to me there is no great awareness that such an organisation exists and is in a position to distribute funds. There may be a difficulty in making contact with men who would be interested in participating unless there is a degree of awareness abroad that funding is available and how to access it.

It is not just disadvantaged men who are participating in men's sheds but also men who are not disadvantaged in any sense but have retired from all types of employment. It is a phenomenon that appeals to all categories of income and background. Will consideration be given to setting up a specific fund earmarked for the resourcing of the 220 existing men's shed groups and the development of new groups? This is the only activity I am aware of that has been successful in engaging men to this sort of level.

It is contributing enormously to men's health, as well as everything else. From that point of view, it is important that we give it the recognition it deserves. That can best be done by giving it a special stream of funding that would be available to resource what is there, to look at areas in which it might continue to carry out good work and then to look at its expansion throughout the country.

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