96. Deputy Barry Ward asked the Minister for Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht his views on the merits of providing multi-annual funding for men’s and women’s sheds to allow them to plan longer term projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54869/25]

Sentiment score: 0.19

Tá ceist agam ná faoi na men's sheds agus an t-airgead atá curtha ar fáil dóibh. I ask about the value of multi-annual funding for men's sheds to give them certainty with regard to what they can do year on year, rather than depending on budget-to-budget and year-to-year decisions on funding. It would give them much greater certainty regarding what they can and cannot do and I would be grateful if the Minister could address that issue.

Sentiment score: 0.43

I acknowledge the work being done and the funding that has been made available. I agree with what the Minister said about the value of men's sheds and women's sheds. I do not really understand why we cannot put a multi-annual framework in place for funding for them. It would give them huge assistance in delivering and providing the services they do, which, we can all agree, are really positive for communities all over this country. I accept what the Minister has said about the lack of a national organisation or association for women's sheds. However, could the same level of money given to the Irish Men's Sheds Association not be provided over a series of years in the way we do in so many other areas from budget to budget, rather than asking them to depend from year to year on what they might be able to rely on? They can do so much more if they have certainty about what funding is available to them. Will the Minister outline the reasons that cannot be done?

Sentiment score: 0.22

I appreciate what the Minister has said. I understand the importance of making sure the money is spent correctly and appropriately. Nobody has any difficulty with that. I also appreciate what he said about the value of the associations and the value of an association that can act as an umbrella body. My suggestion is that where we provide multi-annual funding for various organisations in other areas of the budget, is it not open to us to make that multi-annual funding available to a particular association so that they might have some certainty for the programmes they offer, recognising the value of men's sheds to particular communities and what they do for people throughout this country, in every constituency represented in this House? Is there any path to provide that certainty, whether through multi-annual funding or through the association? Is there no pathway to give them certainty on what might be available to run the programmes they run?

Sentiment score: 0.30