Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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22. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps being taken in relation to the commitment in the Programme for Partnership Government to ensure that organisations (details supplied) are properly resourced especially in view of the Covid-19 pandemic. [24318/20]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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Men’s and Women’s Sheds make an invaluable contribution to community life in Ireland.

My Department is providing a range of supports in 2020 which Men's and Women's Sheds can avail of, depending on the works being completed.  This can include work relating to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In June, I launched the 2020 Community Enhancement Programmewith funding of €2m.  In August, the Department launched a separate €5m fund under the same Programme. These provide capital grants to community groups and details are available on Gov.ie.

Men's and Women's Shed Groups could also potentially be eligible for funding under the LEADER Programme.Relevant details are available on the National Rural Network website.

My Department also has responsibility for the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme.  This programme has provided support to a total of 2,120 local community groups to date in 2020.  This includes 121 Men’s Sheds and 10 Women’s Sheds. This support will continue to be available throughout the current iteration of SICAP which runs until 2022.

The Scheme to Support National Organisations(SSNO) provides multiannual core funding to national organisations in the Community and Voluntary sector.  The Irish Men’s Sheds Association has been allocated €270,000 over the 36 month period of the scheme, which commenced in July 2019 and which will run to July 2022.