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

I acknowledge it has been an incredibly tough time for all those who work in the arts and culture sector. Effectively, they have been unable to do what they do best, to do what they love and to earn a living. The Deputy may argue that they languish on the bottom rung, but the fact I secured a commitment from Government for a basic guaranteed income pilot scheme, which was the number one recommendation of the arts recovery task force, shows my commitment as Minister with responsibility for arts and culture. I have a vision and I understand that, by its very nature, work in this sector means there are lull periods when artists need to create, and the pilot scheme is a recognition of that. I would also point out that in 2021 I allocated a record €130 million to the Arts Council to provide for the sector. The council is the agency through which Government support for the arts sector is delivered. Building on this record allocation, increased funding for the Arts Council will be considered in the context of the budget Estimates, and negotiations are ongoing in that regard.

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