Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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I welcome the Minister, Deputy Calleary, to the House.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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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.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator for raising this important issue regarding Women's Sheds. I acknowledge the huge work she has put into this issue over many years and join her in acknowledging the fantastic work being done by women's and men's sheds throughout the country. This area of women's sheds is an important issue to many colleagues across government, in particular, the Minister, Deputy Foley, has been working strongly with me regarding women's sheds. As Senator Byrne said, women's sheds provide a space to women of all ages to come together regularly in a safe, comfortable, inclusive and collegiate environment.

Ireland has long been known for its strong sense of community. With one of the highest rates of volunteering in Europe, community groups play a vital role in people's lives, especially in rural areas. Beyond the social benefits, community involvement contributes to mental well-being, social connection and a sense of belonging. Women's sheds have emerged as an important part of the social inclusion landscape by providing a space where women of all ages and all backgrounds can meet regularly to share and learn new skills, work on meaningful projects, take part in activities, connect with their communities or, as Senator Byrne said, meet, have a chat and combat loneliness. Sheds are welcoming and supportive spaces, a place where women feel comfortable expressing their thoughts, sharing their experiences and, most importantly, connecting with each other. It is estimated there are now approximately 120 women's sheds across Ireland. The movement has been accelerating and gaining momentum in recent years. They have the potential to become even more powerful community hubs to promote lifelong learning, a strong support network and reduce isolation.

The programme for Government contains a commitment to continue to fund men's and women's sheds. As Senator Byrne said, I was delighted to announce last week, along with Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, funding for the Irish Men's Sheds Association, which it will distribute to its member men's sheds throughout the country. Due to the women's sheds being a much newer type of organisation which is still in the early stages of getting structures and procedures in place, I was not able on this occasion to provide funding to women's sheds in a similar way.

I am, however, committed to working with women's sheds to help them on this journey. Last week, a representative from my office met with members of the women's sheds national forum in Athlone to start this progress. I am absolutely committed to supporting women's sheds to ensure they can benefit from having a strong national representative body to advocate on their behalf in order that they have the correct structures and procedures in place to allow my Department to engage with them on funding opportunities. I can confirm to the Senator that officials from my Department along with colleagues from the Department of Health will be meeting with members of the national forum of women's sheds in the coming weeks to discuss how they might be supported to grow the organisation. Both Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I will be focused closely to ensure we have the development of a women's sheds network alongside its men's equivalent to get funding in place for the women's sheds.

Maria Byrne (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister. This is a good news story because only during the week I received a phone call from the Limerick shed because they have a new management team. When they saw the funding, they were asking how they can go about applying for funding because everything costs money. I compliment the Minister on and thank him for being so committed to this. I look forward to working alongside him. I have a lot of contact with many of the sheds because, when we set it up, people contacted us. I have many contact details that I can check to see if it is okay to share with the Minister. It is a good news story. I am aware they have set up regional forums, so it is about creating that overall arching body soon. I look forward to working with the Minister into the future on this good news story.

Dara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Senator. I certainly will take her up on that offer. I will ask somebody from my office to engage with her. As I said, we have had meetings and both the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I will be having further meetings. In our Department, the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Foley, the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, and the Minister of State, Deputy Murnane O'Connor, are focused on assisting. We will take the Senator up on her offer.

It is also worth noting, however, that there are other funding streams. Women's sheds are able to apply to the local enhancement programme, which will be worth €7 million in 2025, for running costs as well as small capital works. The Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, and I will shortly be announcing the results of the local enhancement programme for 2025. SICAP supports women's sheds, and for major capital, LEADER is also available. I encourage every local shed to engage with its public participation network and its local development company. I know we ask volunteers to do a lot. I really appreciate all those who take on the mantle of organising sheds. There are so many people who want them but not too many who are willing to take on the mantle of organising them. We are not insisting on the structure for the sake of it, but it is our experience that a national structure is a much more effective way of funding. It is not for the want of funding, but to get the structure in place. I look forward to working with Senator Byrne to do that.

Mark Daly (Fianna Fail)
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As there is a vote in the Dáil, the Minister has to go. The Minister of State who is due in for the next Commencement matter has to go to vote as well. We will suspend the House for the duration of the vote.