Ciarán Cannon (Galway East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses for their very powerful and informative testimony. I have encountered Ms Conway and her work before. She tells really compelling individual stories of people who have a disability who are seeking to be included in the world of arts and culture and creativity. That should not jeopardise the very worthwhile and well-deserved support they get from the State.

The basic income scheme for artists is a pilot and it is happening as we speak. It is unprecedented in terms of the State reaching out a helping hand to those at the cutting edge of creativity in Ireland. It is establishing Ireland as an exemplar worldwide for how to do this well. We are going to learn awful lot from that experience. I agree wholeheartedly that there needs to be far greater input from people with a disability as to how the basic income scheme for artists is shaped and developed in the future. In that context, what country does it well? What is the global exemplar for supporting people with disabilities who want to pursue a life of culture and creativity and the arts? As policymakers, we all need to be better informed as to how exactly this is done and how we can support people who bring a unique perspective and have so much to add to the colour and cultural richness of our country.

There will be a very in-depth and forensic analysis of the basic income for artists scheme as it operates right now at the end of that pilot process. Who does this well? I know Mr. Kearns was citing examples of good practice here in Ireland where some local authorities were especially affected. However, who does this well internationally? Who should we be following? That is my basic question.