Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to hear the Minister refer to the impact assessment his Department conducted after year one of the scheme. I was really impressed by some of its findings, including artists being able to spend up to eight hours a week more on their practice and having the ability to invest up to €550 monthly into their practices for materials, workspaces and the like. There was a 9% increase in the number of artists able to sustain themselves solely in their practices because of the support the basic income scheme provided. The Minister also touched on a slightly intangible aspect, namely, the well-being impacts for artists. We know many types of artistic practice can be tenuous, precarious and lonely, and, therefore, the well-being impacts are something we can welcome too. There is a really strong campaign in this regard. The National Campaign for the Arts, Performing Arts Forum, First Music Contact and Irish Street Arts, Circus and Spectacle Network groups are all campaigning and looking for this scheme to be continued. I would love to get the Minister's sense at this stage in the year in the context of his own priorities of what his thinking is on this scheme.

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