Men’s Sheds Left Waiting on Running-Cost Support as Winter Approaches and Budget 2027 Looms.
Independent Ireland TD for Cork North Central Ken O’Flynn has called on the Government to confirm running-cost support for Men’s Sheds before Budget 2027, after the Minister for Rural and Community Development was unable to say whether a dedicated scheme will open this year.
In replies to Parliamentary Questions, Minister Dara Calleary confirmed he received a new funding proposal from the Irish Men’s Shed Association on Monday, 21 September, and will engage with the Association after reviewing it. However, the Government has provided no figures for funding channelled through the Association in 2024 or so far in 2026, and the replies do not refer to any dedicated provision for Men’s Sheds in Budget 2027.
Figures that have been supplied show the average grant paid per shed through the Association fell from €2,432 in 2023 to €2,047 in 2025 — a drop of nearly 16 per cent over two years.
A separate €1 million fund under the 2025 Local Enhancement Programme was open to community groups, including Men’s Sheds, for energy and running costs. It reached 150 Men’s Sheds, providing an average of just €440 per shed.
Deputy O’Flynn said Men’s Sheds play a significant role in men’s health and wellbeing, and warned that the lack of clarity is leaving volunteer-run organisations in limbo as colder months approach.
“Men’s Sheds give men a place to go, people to talk to and something to do, and for many men that makes a real difference to their health and wellbeing,” he said. “They are largely built on volunteer effort and operate on very modest resources.”
“We are nine months into the year, winter is approaching and Men’s Sheds still do not know what support they can expect for their running costs,” he added.
O’Flynn noted that the Minister has himself acknowledged shortcomings in the current system. “The Minister himself accepts that the current funding system has been cumbersome and a burden for Men’s Sheds. That is not a problem that has suddenly emerged this week.”
He said he was pressing Calleary to act quickly on the Association’s newly submitted proposal. “The Minister received the Association’s new proposal on Monday. I am asking him to review it urgently, make a decision and give Men’s Sheds certainty before Budget 2027.”
The Cork TD is calling for a dedicated, ring-fenced funding stream with a simplified application process. “There should be dedicated running-cost support for Men’s Sheds, with funding ring-fenced in the Budget and a straightforward application process that volunteers can actually manage,” he said.
“These organisations should not be spending their time trying to navigate complicated funding systems when they should be keeping their doors open and serving their communities.”
O’Flynn said Men’s Sheds need certainty before winter sets in. “Men’s Sheds need certainty before winter, not another round of uncertainty about whether they will have the resources to keep their doors open.”