Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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348. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views on whether the ability to analyse the number of artists and arts workers in the census would assist with efforts to provide a basic income for workers in the sector as she outlined. [26091/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce report Life Worth Living, was published in November 2020 and made ten recommendations for the sector. The recommendations included a proposal to pilot a universal basic income (UBI) scheme for a three-year period in the arts, culture, audiovisual and live performance and events sectors. The Taskforce was of the view that a pilot basic income would keep the sector intact, minimising the loss of skills and contributing to its gradual regrowth, with ongoing benefits: social and economic, local and national.  

Artistic and creative work is intrinsically valuable to society; it includes a broad mix of employment types and is often characterised by low, precarious and often seasonal income. This is an exciting proposal and has been the subject of positive commentary both nationally and internationally.

I have recently established an Oversight Committee for the appraisal of the Taskforce Recommendations including UBI.  The Oversight Group is being chaired by my Department joined by representatives of the Departments of Finance, Social Protection, Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Public Expenditure and Reform as well as Enterprise, Trade and Employment.  The Directors of the Arts Council and Screen Ireland are also members and they will be joined by a representative of the County and City Managers Association. 

I have asked the Oversight Group to prioritise the examination of  the Recommendation on a basic income for artists. This Oversight Committee will examine the manner in which we could deliver a pilot Basic Income for artists.  Their considerations will include all available data, including the Census, to help ensure an evidence-based data driven proposal on this matter.