Calls made to restore vital support to Tipp's men's sheds

Concern over withdrawal of SICAP officer

A growing chorus of political representatives and community groups are calling on Tipperary County Council to restore SICAP funding to a number of standalone men’s shed organisations across North Tipperary. The Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (SICAP) is a funding initiative which falls under the auspices of the Local and Community Development Committee (LCDC). Its stated objective is “to reduce poverty and promote social inclusion and equality in Ireland through supporting communities and individuals using community development approaches, engagement and collaboration”.

The withdrawal of the SICAP officer was greeted with widespread dissatisfaction by the four standalone men’s sheds directly affected, which are based in Thurles, Littleton, Borrisokane and Silvermines. The issue was also raised at the February meeting of Tipperary County Council, with Thurles Councillor Kay Cahill Skehan tabling a motion which called for SICAP support to be reinstated. The motion passed emphatically.

Speaking on March 4, Cllr Cahill Skehan said she was actively “pursuing the matter with the County Council”. She said the council had previously told her that they had chosen not to withdraw all funding but that the SICAP officer would no longer be made available. The Fianna Fáil representative argues that the SICAP officer is “hugely important” to the operational structure and efficiency of the aforementioned men’s sheds, and that its withdrawal could jeopardise the future of these groups.

“The SICAP officer opens up so many opportunities for them and to lose that SICAP officer is a big blow to them,” she said. “Most sheds would be dependent on one individual and really, it’s not possible to keep them going when they’re depending on just one or two people. They definitely need the help of a SICAP officer,” she added.

Heartfelt statement

In an extremely strong and heartfelt statement, Silvermines Men’s Shed CLG branded the move to withdraw SICAP funding as “a reckless decision that abandons vulnerable men and undermines essential services”. They condemned the course of action being taken by the Council, calling it “a shocking failure to recognise the essential services that we provide.”

The statement described men’s sheds as “frontline service providers,” noting that for many men in the Silvermines area, it is “their only consistent point of contact.” Patrick Hennessy, Director of Silvermines Men’s Shed CLG and Silvermines Community Centre CLG (where the shed is located) said that the withdrawal of SICAP funding demonstrated a “deep and troubling” disregard for the reality of service provision in rural communities. He emphasised that Silvermines Men’s Shed CLG and Silvermines Community Centre CLG are two separate units, each with its own governance, responsibilities, and service users, but that both organisations have been hit by the same withdrawal of support.

Immediate and severe

The impact, Mr Hennessy said, has been “immediate and severe”. Silvermines Men’s Shed has been forced to reduce its opening hours, while funding streams and training courses previously available through SICAP have been removed.

“This is the real‑world impact of this decision,” he continued. “Men who rely on us for connection, routine, support, and learning opportunities are now losing access because volunteers cannot carry this workload alone. That is the human cost of withdrawing SICAP support.”

Motion

He welcomed the motion brought forward by Cllr Cahill Skehan and noted the fact that it had received broad cross-party support from councillors at the February meeting but stressed that “immediate action is now required.” Concluding, Mr Hennessy stated that “the decision to withdraw SICAP support must be reversed, and it must be reversed now”.