Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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My Department provides a range of supports which Men's Sheds/Groups can avail of depending on the works being completed.

Since 2019, the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP) provided capital funding for community groups which included €0.5m that was ring-fenced under the programme for both Men's & Women's Sheds. The CEP ran again in 2020 and 2021 providing small capital grants to community groups to enhance their facilities and towards the reopening of facilities. A list of all successful CEP projects is available at this link www.gov.ie The Deputy should note that all funding details provided are from Local Authority areas and not by CHO areas.

In November 2021 the €9m Community Activities Fund (CAF) was launched to support community groups impacted by COVID-19. This fund supported groups, particularly in disadvantaged areas, with their running/operating costs such as utility or insurance bills, as well as with improvements to their facilities. Men's Sheds were free to apply for this funding via their Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs). A list of all successful CAF projects is available at this link www.gov.ie.

Funding under the LEADER programme is not targeted at any particular group or sector in rural communities. It is, rather, focused on a thematic approach to rural development under the headings of Economic Development, Enterprise Development and Job Creation; Social Inclusion; and the Rural Environment. The Department does not, therefore, capture details of the amount of funding approved specifically for Men’s Sheds/Groups under the LEADER programme.

Since 2018 the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) has provided supports to over 250 Men’s Sheds, with small grants totalling over €134,000.

The Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of national, community and voluntary organisations. The scheme ran from 1st July 2019 to 30th June 2022. The Irish Men’s Sheds Association was allocated €270,000 over the three year period of the scheme.

Under the new iteration, which commenced on 1 July 2022 and will cease on 30 June 2025, the Irish Men’s Sheds Association has been allocated total funding of €243,158 over the three year period of the Scheme.

My Department also funded the Irish Men’s Sheds Association under the Stability Fund in 2020, with €70,424 in current funding to support the organisation to continue to deliver services despite the challenges brought by COVID-19.

I encourage all organisations to check on www.gov.ie and to keep in touch with their local LCDC for information around funding opportunities.