Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)

I thank the Deputy. The emergence of men’s sheds and women's sheds has been an enormously positive development for communities across Ireland. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are fully committed to supporting men's and women's sheds in the valuable work they do.

My Department provides funding to men's and women’s sheds under various supports, including the local enhancement programme, the social inclusion and community activation programme and LEADER. Men’s and women's sheds can apply individually for all of these schemes. In addition to these schemes, my Department has channelled funding through the Irish Men’s Sheds Association, IMSA, to distribute directly to men’s sheds. I was pleased to announce a financial package with the IMSA this year, which will enable it to distribute up to €1 million in support to men's sheds across the country. It should also be noted that my Department provides multi-annual funding to the IMSA through the scheme to support national organisations.

We continue to engage with the men's sheds regarding the distribution of that money. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I are focused on ensuring that gets to the sheds. While I understand the desire for multi-annual funding, it would not be possible for my Department to provide multiannual funding to individual men's and women's sheds on an ongoing basis for a variety of reasons.

My Department works within the resources it has to provide the best supports possible at this time. Women's sheds do not currently operate under a national organisation. My Department is unable to provide funding similar to that provided to men's sheds. However, my Department and the Department of Health are working with the women's sheds of Ireland to support their efforts to form a national body, which would thereby allow the Minister of State and me to facilitate access for women's sheds to similar funding to the IMSA.

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