Councillors raise alarm over Men's Sheds funding gap
Letterkenny-Milford councillors are to write to Rural and Community Development Minister Dara Calleary amid fears that a funding gap could force Men's Sheds to cut services or close.
Independent Councillor Michael McBride has called for urgent intervention to protect the community groups who've had no dedicated grant since May 2025.
Despite Government saying Men's Sheds funding is a "priority", there has been no guarantee of when the next grants will arrive.
The previous national funding package provided to the Irish Men’s Shed Association (IMSA) was worth up to €1 million, with 369 sheds receiving grants of up to €3,000.
Cllr McBride says the funding is relatively modest in the context of overall government spending, but made an enormous difference to organisations operating on limited budgets.
"It keeps groups ticking over," he said.
He warned: "It would be a real sin to see them falling away because of the lack of funding."
Independent Cllr Declan Meehan said the situation "beggars belief", describing Men's Sheds as a "fantastic resource in communities" and a "vital lifeline" for many men.
He also urged his fellow councillors to raise the issue directly with their government party colleagues.
At the September meeting of the Letterkenny-Milford Municipal District, Cllr McBride asked that the council write to Minister Calleary on the matter.
The concerns follow confirmation from the Irish Men's Sheds Association (IMSA) that the dedicated 2025/26 grant will not proceed, with the next grant expected to be activated in 2027.
The association has warned that this leaves sheds without dedicated grant support for running costs incurred between May 2025 and the end of 2026. The funding helps volunteer-led groups meet essential expenses, including electricity, heating, rent and insurance.
In Donegal, 22 recipients shared €47,632.01 in the latest distribution in May for costs incurred between 2024 and 2025.
In response to a query from Donegal Daily , the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht said Ministers Calleary and Jerry Buttimer remained committed to supporting Men's Sheds while they await the outcome of budget negotiations.
"All funding programmes in the department are subject to the Annual Budgetary Estimates process which is currently ongoing and therefore, the department cannot make any definite future funding commitments at present," a statement said.
The Department said Minister Calleary had also asked IMSA to review its grant distribution process following complaints that applications were "cumbersome and convoluted".
"To help streamline the distribution of grants, Minister Calleary has asked the IMSA to re-examine the way in which it distributes funding to make it easier for the individual Men’s Sheds," a spokesperson said.
"The Department is awaiting a submission outlining their proposals which will be reviewed in tandem with the outcome of the annual budgetary estimates process.
"Based on the outcome of the current budget negotiations and receipt of the IMSA funding distribution proposal for Men’s Sheds, the Ministers will consider how the Department can provide beneficial and sustainable funding to individual Men’s Sheds."
The Department also shared other funding schemes available to Men's Sheds, including the Local Enhancement Programme, SICAP and LEADER.
The response did not confirm whether the 2025/26 grant would be reinstated or when sheds could expect another dedicated payment.
A letter from the IMSA said it was deeply disappointed by the prolonged funding gap.
"The Men’s Sheds Grant is not simply additional or discretionary funding. For many Sheds, it contributes directly towards the basic costs of keeping their doors open - rent, insurance, electricity, heating, water and other essential running costs.
"Those costs do not stop because the grant has stopped.
"Many Sheds operate on extremely modest budgets and with limited reserves. They are volunteer-led organisations, sustained by men giving their time freely for the benefit of their members and their wider communities.
"We are particularly concerned about Sheds for whom this funding can make the difference between maintaining their normal opening hours, reducing activities, or potentially becoming inactive."
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