Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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2673.To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the financial assistance available to a person (details supplied) towards the work of a club; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31933/24]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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As I understand it this group is involved in supports for Men's mental health which aligns with the ethos of the Irish Men's Sheds Association. My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Men's Sheds, which may be of assistance to the group referred to in the Deputy's question. Since 2018, under the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP), over 1,300 Men’s Shed projects have received funding of over €2.3 million.

I was delighted to launch the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) in December 2023. This replaced my Department’s Community Enhancement Programme, Men's Sheds were also eligible to apply for funding under the LEP.

Administered on behalf of the Department by Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs) with support from their Local Authority, the Local Enhancement Programme is now closed to applications. Details of all the successful projects can be viewed on my Departments website.

Separately, the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) also provides supports to Men's Sheds, for example in facilitating training courses and holding focus groups. Under SICAP 2018 to 2023, 283 Men’s sheds received supports, with grants awarded totalling €223,027. Since the commencement of SICAP 2024 – 2028, 112 Men’s Sheds have received supports, with 10 receiving grants totalling €9,923 to date in 2024.

The Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO) provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of national, community and voluntary organisations. The current iteration commenced on 1 July 2022 and will cease on 30 June 2025. The Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA) has been allocated total funding of €243,158 over the three-year period of the scheme.

In November 2023, I was delighted to announce funding of €1 million to support Men’s Sheds throughout the country. The initiative will see grants of up to €3,000 provided to over 400 Men’s Sheds nationwide to assist them with running costs such as electricity or insurance bills. The individual grants will be distributed to the Men’s Sheds via IMSA and I expect to receive details of the successful shed's in the coming weeks.

I would suggest that Celbridge Boys Club get in touch with the Irish Men's Sheds Association (IMSA) for information. I would encourage all Men's Sheds and other men's groups to regularly engage with their Local Community Development Committee (LCDC), Local Development Company (LDC) and Public Participation Network (PPN) in order to ensure they are informed of a range of funding opportunities as they arise.