Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

319. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if a copy of the options paper submitted to her by the oversight group responsible for developing the pilot basic income for artists in addition to a copy of the presentation material provided by the various groups which have presented to the oversight group on the basic income pilot will be provided. [52526/21]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I established an Oversight Group to appraise the recommendations in the Life Worth Living report. Although the remit of the Oversight Group included the examination of all recommendations in the report, I asked that they prioritise the consideration of the Recommendation on a basic income guarantee pilot scheme for artists and arts workers as a priority.

The Oversight Group is chaired by my Department and 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 alongside a representative of the County and City Managers Association.

The Oversight Group has met eight times to discuss the Basic Income pilot recommendation alongside the other nine recommendations. To assist in these discussions, the Oversight Group established a sub-committee to focus solely on the progression of the recommendation for the basic income pilot scheme. This sub-committee met nine times over the summer months to develop a number of options that could fulfil the requirements of a pilot scheme as set out in the Life Worth Livingreport.

The Oversight Group, with the research carried out by this sub-committee, has provided me with a preliminary report on the different options for a three year pilot scheme which I am currently considering.Once I have completed my deliberations on the matter it is my intention to publish an implementation report before the end of the year and I will be happy to publish the Oversight Group's report and other relevant documentation also at that juncture.