Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for coming to discuss this all-important issue. In 2021, I organised a meeting of women's shed groups with his predecessor, Heather Humphreys, and they came from throughout the country. I did so because I was conscious that men's sheds are very well organised. They have a national forum and regional forums and are in receipt of funding. We gathered together to look at how we could set up a national forum for women's sheds because there are so many shed groups out there. I compliment both the men and the women on all the work they are doing. In some cases, it helps people with loneliness but it is also about collegiality and learning from one another.

I had been thinking about the recent funding of men's sheds before that meeting and asked myself how we could get women's sheds on the same stream to apply for funding. That is why I have put down this Commencement matter. Women's sheds have set up regional forums but they have not got a national forum. I would like to hear the Minister's thoughts about this and where we can go collectively to make sure that women's sheds have equal access to funding as men's sheds.