Written answers

Tuesday, 19 October 2021

Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment

Universal Basic Income

Photo of Aengus Ó SnodaighAengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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239. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the work being undertaken to deliver a universal basic income pilot separate to the pilot basic income for arts; the reason these two schemes have been separated; and when he expects both to be delivered. [50974/21]

Photo of Leo VaradkarLeo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government includes a commitment to ‘Request the Low Pay Commission to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government’. Earlier this year, I formally requested the Low Pay Commission to examine this issue.

The Low Pay Commission has asked ESRI to conduct background technical research on this issue, under the terms of the Low Pay Commission/ESRI Research Partnership Agreement.

The study will examine universal basic income pilots that have taken place in other countries to identify what was learnt and that could be relevant to a pilot in Ireland. It will also seek to identify what policy objectives a universal basic income pilot could examine and its associated risks and fiscal implications.

It will conclude with recommendations on how a universal basic income pilot in Ireland could be designed.

The Low Pay Commission intends to provide a report to me on this research and their recommendations later this year.

I will then work with my officials to examine the Low Pay Commission’s findings and recommendations.

The idea of a universal basic income is that it is universal and not sectoral (e.g. for artists). The commitment in the Programme for Government will be informed by the results of any pilots organised in response to the recommendation of the Arts and Culture Taskforce and the Arts and Culture Recovery Oversight for a basic income guarantee pilot scheme for artists, if these results are available within the set timeframe. It is however being considered as a separate initiative.

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