Regina Doherty (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Warfield for raising this matter.

The jobseeker's benefit and allowance schemes provide an income for periods when people do not have employment to support themselves. This pilot scheme is different. The aim is to support artists with a view that the artists would provide their own enterprise. Senator Warfield's figures are slightly different from mine. My figures go up to the end of February, and there are 32 artists on the scheme. That figure is still incredibly low. There is a reason that only 32 artists are on the pilot scheme and I need to find that out.

I welcome Senator Warfield's support and I think he knows there is a willingness both in the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and my Department to recognise the special nature of works of art. I would also be curious as to why performing artists were not included in the scheme because I would say we would have many more performing artists than visual artists or writers.

I need to wait until the end of the 12 month period to look at the operation of the pilot scheme and to adjudicate on it, warts and all. That 12 month period will end in June 2018, which seems a long time from now. However, as a favour, would Senator Warfield write to me, outlining his ideas on what is wrong and what we could change to put it right from his experience with his fellow artists who have interacted with the pilot scheme, either successfully or unsuccessfully? I will ask for the review to be brought forward with a view to shaping the scheme so that it reaches more artists than the 32 people who have availed of it.

I agree with Senator Warfield's point that the work of a visual artist or a writer does not happen with a certain flow and we need to consider that point. Perhaps performing is different, one will get a gig this month but one might not get a gig next week. Let us agree that I will try to bring the review forward and that he will help me feed into the review by speaking to his friends and colleagues and providing data on what is wrong and what we could do to improve the scheme. Ultimately, we want a scheme that we can roll out not just on a pilot basis, but across the country that will support our creative Irish citizens to do what they do best, and have that cushion to support them in their creativity.