Dáil debates

Thursday, 24 February 2022

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions

Arts Policy

9:10 am

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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3. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht further to Parliamentary Question No. 287 of 8 February 2022, the time, date and the details of discussions she and her Department have had with the Minister for Social Protection and her Department specifically on the impact of the proposed basic income for artists pilot scheme for artists with disabilities; and if she will work closely with the Minister for Social Protection to ensure that the needs of artists with disabilities are fully taken into account prior to the roll-out of the basic income for artists. [10697/22]

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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This question is to give an account of the discussions to date with the Minister for Social Protection and her Department on the impact of her proposed basic income for artists pilot scheme on artists with disability and if she will work closely with the Minister to ensure the needs of artists with disabilities are fully taken into account prior to the roll-out of the basic income scheme for artists.

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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Before I answer, I acknowledge the devastating developments overnight in Ukraine. As the Minister, Deputy Coveney, said earlier, we utterly condemn this act of unjustifiable war and our hearts and thoughts are with the people of Ukraine.

The basic income for the arts pilot scheme will run over a three-year period and the intention is to research the impact a basic income would have on artists' and creatives' work patterns by providing the opportunity to participants to focus on their practice and to minimise the loss of skills from the arts, as a result of the pandemic. Stakeholder engagement has been core to the policy development process and this included a stakeholder forum on 15 December 2021 and a public consultation throughout January.

The impact of such a scheme on artists with disabilities is a theme that has been raised throughout the consultation and I can assure the Deputy that it is a matter I take very seriously. I want to ensure that all artists, including those with a disability, can apply to participate in the pilot.

The Department of Social Protection was a member of the oversight group I established last year tasked with appraising the recommendations set out in Life Worth Living report. That group met eight times last year and the Department of Social Protection attended each of those meetings. In addition, an interdepartmental working group, including the Department of Social Protection, was established to support the work of the oversight group. It met seven times last year and the Department of Social Protection attended each of those meetings.

In addition, bilateral engagement between the two Departments on the treatment of the basic income for the arts payment has been ongoing, with at least seven meetings over the past number of months.

In particular, discussions around the treatment of the grant payment for the purposes of income disregards across a number of social welfare schemes, including disability allowance, are ongoing.

I assure the Deputy that the issue of artists with disabilities is something on which I am focused. I believe the basic income for the arts has the potential to help artists and creative arts workers with disabilities overcome labour market barriers by creating a self-sustaining creative practice operating on a self-employed basis.

9:20 am

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. It is interesting there have been eight meetings between both Departments, or at least that the Department of Social Protection was in attendance at seven of the eight meetings that were held. That is good news. It is to be hoped progress is being made because it can have a devastating effect on people with disabilities. Many questions need to be answered regarding other artists; those are for another day.

The focus today is specifically on artists with disabilities who are concerned that if this scheme is rolled out, they will be sidelined or discriminated against by the potential that a means test or income disregard does not take full account of their circumstances. A suspension of the means test for the period of the three years of the pilot would probably be a better approach in their instances rather than an income disregard.

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I am determined to ensure the voices of artists and art workers are heard in the development and delivery of supports to the sector. In terms of the basic income for the arts pilot scheme, as the Deputy will know, this recommendation arose from the recommendation from the arts and culture recovery task force and is subject to ongoing consultation. I believe the whole process must be based on that consultation because it is a game changer for the arts community.

A wide range of issues with regard to the operation of the proposed scheme, including the issue of artists with disabilities, have been raised in the context of this consultative process. These are now being considered by my Department the context of finalising the scheme.

I appreciate this issue has been raised by Deputy Ó Snodaigh and others, including Deputy Hourigan. I assure the Deputy there is ongoing engagement at present across government and, as I said, with the Department of Social Protection, on all the relevant issues related to this proposal, as there has been since the outset of this process. I intend to launch the scheme and all details with regard to its operation shortly.

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister's commitment and that of others such as my colleague, Deputy Kerrane, who also raised questions on this issue.

When will the discussions conclude? This scheme was supposed to be rolled out early in the first quarter. We are past the early part of the first quarter at this stage. The discussions around this issue need to conclude in order that reassurances can be given to those artists who wish to avail of the scheme or allow them at least to put their names forward and, it is hoped, be part of the pilot, in particular those who are struggling not only with low incomes anyway but also the additional challenges a disability would raise. They are the ones who have raised this issue with me continually and who feel they may be excluded or sidelined and lose their medical card or some of the other benefits that help them ease the burden of a disability.

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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I thank the Deputy. I am seeking to bring this to a conclusion and hope to be able to launch it shortly. As I said, however, it is such a groundbreaking initiative and a game changer. My focus is on getting it right and on the consultation with the very voices the Deputy said must be heard. It will be a three-year pilot, as promised. I am determined to get it right and that the consultation is at the heart of the process. I will get it out as soon as possible but, as I said, the consultation is key to this to make sure that when we roll out such a groundbreaking initiative, it addresses all the issues like those raised by the Deputy.

Question No. 4 replied to with Written Answers.