694. Deputy Conor Sheehan asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht the reason grants for Men’s Sheds are not proceeding in 2026; if he will reconsider the decision in view of the important role Men’s Sheds play in tackling social isolation, loneliness and supporting community participation, particularly among older men; and if he will give a commitment to safeguarding dedicated funding for Men’s Sheds in future years. [66318/26]

As the Deputy will be aware, my Department is very supportive of both Men’s Sheds and Women’s Sheds. Indeed, I can assure the Deputy that I am very conscious of the important role that these groups play in communities across the country. Men’s Sheds provide a space for men of all ages to come together on a regular basis in a safe, comfortable and inclusive environment.

My Department provides funding to Men’s Sheds under various funding supports, including:

• The Local Enhancement Programme (LEP);

• The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) 2024 - 2028; and

• The LEADER programme.

Since 2018, under my Department’s Local Enhancement Programme (LEP) and its iterations, Men’s Sheds have been allocated over €2.7 million, to assist with building upgrades and the purchase of equipment.

My Department also provides funding directly to the Irish Men's Shed Association (IMSA) under the Scheme to Support National Organisations (SSNO). The SSNO provides multi-annual funding towards core costs of national, community and voluntary organisations. The current iteration of the SSNO commenced on 1 July 2026, with funding of €297,766 over the three-years and 6-month period being provided to the IMSA.

In addition, since 2022, my Department has also provided over €2.3 million in current funding directly to the IMSA for onward distribution to individual Men's Sheds. I recently met with representatives of IMSA to discuss this funding and I have asked the IMSA for further information. On Monday 21st September I received a new proposal from the IMSA in relation to the distribution of the funding and, following a review of these proposals, I will engage with the IMSA.

Finally, the Deputy can be assured that I and my Department are totally committed to the work of Men's Sheds and also Women's Sheds on the ground. Given that the current distribution of funding has been identified by many individual sheds as cumbersome and being a burden, when considering the future allocation mechanism for Men's Sheds, my priority is to ensure that the process is streamlined for the Sheds themselves and that funding is targeted and distributed in an effective and efficient manner.