Ms Chandrika Narayanan Mohan:

It is a bit difficult at the moment because the valuation of the whole process has not happened but just look at the application process. Take the need for a professional body approval as one way to apply; many people from minoritised backgrounds or non-EU workers would not have that. Then there is even the process itself for someone for whom English is not their first language. It is a bureaucratic, form filling system that is new to everyone. The Skein Press evaluation and others also found that artists from migrant backgrounds have a lot of trouble identifying as artists and writers. When they are empowered through programmes, including development programmes, and where they have been consulted they gain confidence and have said they did not identify as a writer before now and they do. It is about having something that is a call-out for artists from minoritised groups which have trouble even identifying as artists. Then there is the question of how it even applies to non-EU workers who need work permits. Legally, they cannot even do one freelance gig outside of their full-time job. It is not even legal. They might not know this exists or that it is for them so it is excluding a huge swathe of potential creatives, artists and people who can move Ireland forward in really exciting ways through their work. At first sight, it looks as though there are a lot of barriers even with the application process. It will be interesting to see the outcome.