Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I wish to advise the Deputy that the organisation to which he refers has sent copies of its pre-budget submission for 2022 to me and to my officials. I am familiar with the recommendations made by the organisation. Budget 2022 will be announced on 12 October 2021.

A number of the recommendations listed in the pre-budget submission that come within the remit of my Department are also contained in the arts and culture recovery task force report, Life Worth Living, published in November 2020, which outlined a vision for the arts and culture sector which I firmly support. The recommendations included a proposal to pilot a basic income scheme for a three-year period in the arts, culture, audiovisual, live performance and events sectors. Other recommendations relate to increased funding to existing programmes and agencies.

As part of the Economic Recovery Plan launched on 1 June 2021, the Government committed to bringing forward a proposal in response to the task force recommendation for a basic guaranteed income pilot scheme for artists. I established an oversight group with the remit of addressing the outstanding recommendations of the Life Worth Living report. The oversight group was asked to prioritise the manner in which a basic guaranteed income pilot scheme for artists could be delivered, and I am currently considering the optimal mechanism to take this important measure forward.

As the Deputy will be aware, the programme for Government committed to continue to reform and improve the budgetary process to enhance Ireland’s budgetary framework. The budgetary reforms introduced in recent years, including performance budgeting and equality budgeting, are focused on providing the evidence base to support the efficient and effective delivery of services that have a positive impact on people's lives. This work is being further enhanced with the development of the well-being framework for Ireland.

As we emerge from the pandemic, I am committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of the arts and culture sectors, and that remains my focus during the ongoing budget negotiations. We have a unique opportunity to achieve such sustainability in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The arts have been and continue to be among the most negatively impacted sectors, and in this context I am focused on the recovery and future of the culture sector. I can inform the Deputy that both I and my Department's officials meet regularly with representatives of the organisation to which he refers, and I am meeting them tomorrow to discuss these exact matters.

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