Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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4. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of artists who have benefited from the basic income scheme for artists to date; the status of research into the benefits of the scheme; and if extending this scheme is a priority for him in budget 2026. [10543/25]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The basic income for the arts scheme is a proud legacy of the Green Party's time in Government. It is benefiting more than 2,000 artists with a monthly payment. I believe this scheme should be maintained and, indeed, enhanced. Can the Minister give us an indication of the research that has been done on its impact at the same time as the pilot is operating? Can he also give us an indication as to whether keeping the scheme or growing it is one of his budgetary priorities?

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The programme for Government commits to assessing the basic income for artists pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. The basic income for the arts pilot research scheme will conclude in August this year and the data from the pilot will be fed into the Government's consideration of the next steps. Recipients have been receiving payments and responding to surveys under the scheme since August 2022. Some 2,000 artists and creative arts workers have benefited from the payment of €325 a week since August 2022. There were over 8,000 eligible applicants for the scheme and the 2,000 recipients were chosen through an anonymised random selection process. In budget 2025, the Government made an allocation of €35 million for the basic income for the arts scheme in 2025. It is important to note that the pilot is a research programme and that no decision has been taken as to its continuation. The research evaluating the impact of the pilot scheme is ongoing and it is a priority for me to ensure the research is completed to assess and maximise the impact of the scheme ahead of budget 2026.

While the research phase of the pilot scheme is still ongoing, it is clear from the evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact on the participants. The latest data is available through published reports on the basic income for the arts website on gov.ie. This data shows that the scheme 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, experience a boost to their well-being through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precarious nature of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those not receiving the support. I will shortly publish a qualitative research paper on the scheme and work is starting to undertake a cost benefit analysis for a more complete assessment of the impacts of the scheme. A Government decision will be required on a successor scheme to the pilot and the future of the scheme will be decided when the final results of the research are available. These will provide the Government with the evidence base upon which to base future policy decisions about the basic income for the arts.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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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.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, I have been rather busy since I went into the Department. The total cost of this scheme is €105 million. It was committed by the previous Government of which the Deputy was a member. Undoubtedly, this scheme has certainly had major benefits for the individual artists concerned. Now, we have an opportunity to do not only qualitative but also quantitative research regarding the output from the scheme. From the Deputy's time as the Minister for children, he will know that any decisions taken this far out from a budget cannot be undertaken without the context and input of the Department of Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform. Once I have the research concluded, however, and have a qualitative and quantitative piece of work I can bring to the Government on the value accrued to the State from that €105 million allocated from the previous Government, I think that will probably colour the decision going forward. I am looking forward to seeing that research concluded soon.

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The qualitative research is extremely valuable when we are investing significant amounts of taxpayers' money. The research process was built into this pilot from day one to ensure we were assessing the scheme's actual outcomes. We look forward to seeing the qualitative paper the Minister spoke about earlier. There are options here. The Minister could look to extend the scheme for the existing 2,000 participants, he could look to bring in a new 2,000 participants into the scheme or he could look to grow the scheme in its entirety. A decision will have to be made in terms of the next budgetary process. The Minister's predecessor, former Deputy Catherine Martin, secured funding for the scheme up to the end of this year, I think. From the start of 2026, though, a clear decision will have to be taken. I think the evidence to date points to the benefits of the scheme and suggests we should be looking to grow it. I look forward to engaging further with the Minister when additional information is provided.

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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I do not disagree with the Deputy, except on his last point. There is no point in having research carried out and then making the decision ahead of it. I have to bring this matter to the Government and, as a former Minister for children, the Deputy will know what this involves. I am not going to pre-empt the outcome of the research, which is looking at the scheme under a variety of headings, including practice development, well-being, deprivation, sectoral retention and others. The benefits of the scheme have been well enunciated. The Deputy is right in saying there are a limited number of people in it and several different options that could possibly be looked at. People outside the scheme now might ask if it is their turn or is it somebody else's turn. All these aspects will have to be looked at in the round. Once I have the research before me and I can bring a memorandum to the Government, which I hope to do soon, there will be clarity regarding the scheme's future.