Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)

The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for the arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. The basic income for the arts pilot research scheme began with the first baseline survey in October 2022 and will conclude in August 2025. The data from the pilot will feed into Government consideration of the next steps. The Department is currently working on a report examining the first 24 months of the scheme and this report will be available before the end of the pilot. A further qualitative research paper, written by an independent researcher, will be published in the coming weeks. This paper collects the experiences of 50 recipients who have been interviewed by a sociologist. A cost-benefit analysis is also being undertaken at present.

While the research phase of the pilot scheme is still ongoing, it is clear from evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact on participants. Two impact papers have been published to date and are available on the basic income for the arts website on Gov.ie. This data shows that the basic income for the arts payment is having a consistent, positive impact across almost all indicators, affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being and deprivation. Artists in receipt of the support are typically able to devote more time to their art, produce more pieces of work and experience a boost to their well-being through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support.

I assure Deputy Ó Snodaigh and the sector that I fully appreciate the importance of basic income support for artists. I know there is broad-based support for the basic income for the arts research project in the House. I will be meeting shortly with the National Campaign for the Arts to hear its views on the scheme in detail. My officials met with the campaign on 25 April. I am acutely aware that the pilot is due to conclude in August and it is my intention to make an announcement on the next steps in the coming weeks.

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