Gary Gannon (Dublin Central, Social Democrats)
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43. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of artists from the most recent data available that have applied for the artists basic income scheme and the number of those artists that are in receipt of a means-tested payment from the Department of Social Protection. [22185/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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In regard to the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot Scheme, I am advised that my Department has received 4117 applications as of the 3rd of May, the 21st day that the application portal has been open.

Applicants are not required to provide information on their income from means-tested or other payments from the Department of Social Protection, as my Department will not be assessing eligibility on the basis of that information. Collecting personal information at this point which does not form part of the eligibility assessment would not be not in line with the principles of data protection by which all of our processes are guided.

I have ensured that the application process is as straightforward as possible for applicants to access, and only information that is required has been asked for at this stage. Once the randomised selection of successful applications has taken place for entry to the pilot scheme, more detailed information will be sought to further the research portion of the scheme.