Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael)
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702. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development when funding for Men’s Sheds in County Cork will be announced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40979/24]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides a range of supports which are available to Men's Sheds.

Last November, I 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 funding builds on the €800,000 I announced in November 2022, to support Men’s Sheds. The individual grants were distributed to the Men’s Sheds via its representative body, the Irish Men’s Sheds Association (IMSA).

My officials are currently awaiting a funding proposal from the IMSA and I can assure the Deputy that the funding proposal will be reviewed once received.

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. SICAP provided supports to 283 Men’s Sheds under SICAP 2018-2023, with small grants totalling over €223,000 awarded to 125 Men’s Sheds. To date in 2024, SICAP provided supports to 126 Men’s Sheds under SICAP 2024-2028. 20 Men’s Sheds have received grants totalling over €16,000. This support is still available through SICAP.

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.

I was delighted to launch the Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) in December 2023. This replaced my Department’s Community Enhancement Programme, with capital funding of €6 million to assist thousands of community groups across the country. Men's Sheds were eligible to apply for funding under the LEP which is now closed to applicants, and details of successful projects, including Men’s Sheds are available on my Department’s website www.gov.ie/drcd .

Since 2018, under the Community Enhancement Programme (CEP), over 1,300 Men’s Shed projects have been allocated funding of over €2.3 million.

Details of any future iterations of the Local Enhancement Programme, including the allocations available have not yet been confirmed. I would encourage all Men’s Sheds to check my department’s website www.gov.ie/drcd, and to engage with their Local Community Development Committees (LCDCs), Local Development Companies and Public Participation Networks (PPN) to ensure they are aware of funding opportunities as they become available.