Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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77. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when she will announce the 2025 funding for Men’s Sheds in County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40597/24]

Joe O'Brien (Dublin Fingal, Green Party)
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The emergence of the Men’s Sheds in recent years has been a very positive development for communities across Ireland. They provide a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment where people of all ages can share skills and work on meaningful projects and connect with their communities. Both Minister Humphreys and I regularly meet Men’s Sheds and we are very proud of the work they do and the contribution they make to their communities.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to ensure that Men’s Sheds are properly resourced and my Department has provided a range of supports which Men’s Sheds have availed of.

Last November, Minister Humphreys met with members of Men’s Sheds at their first ever national conference in Virginia, County Cavan, called ‘Shedfest’, where she announced current funding of €1 million to support Men’s Sheds throughout the country. The initiative saw grants of up to €3,000 provided to 378 Men’s Sheds nationwide to assist them with running costs such as electricity or insurance bills. This includes 17 Men's Sheds in Mayo which were allocated funding of over €42,000.

This funding built on the €800,000 announced in November 2022 to support Men’s Sheds, which included funding of over €28,000 provided to 15 Men's Sheds in Mayo. The individual grants were distributed to the Men’s Sheds via its representative body, the Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA).

Officials in the Department are currently awaiting a funding proposal from the IMSA and I can assure the Deputy that the proposal will be considered once received.