Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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547. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the basic income for artists (details supplied) will affect those who are on a disability payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23024/22]

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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549. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if a pilot scheme will be put in place for disabled artists and arts workers (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23034/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 547 and 549 together.

The pilot basic income scheme for artists which the Government launched in April is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is expected that there will be 2,000 participants on the pilot scheme which will run for three years.

It is important to stress that a payment under the pilot Basic Income for Artists is not a social protection or income support payment. Rather it is a payment in recognition of the valuable contribution of the arts community and an incentive to encourage people to remain actively employed in the arts rather than seeking employment elsewhere.

Payments under the pilot scheme are income and will therefore be reckonable as income for the purposes of taxation. I understand that recipients will be required to make annual self-employment returns to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners on that basis.

Similarly, the Department of Social Protection will treat income from the scheme as income from self-employment for the purpose of its various means tests.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent)
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548. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the new basic income scheme for artists will affect means tested social welfare payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23032/22]

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The pilot basic income scheme for artists which the Government launched in April is a matter for my colleague the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. It is expected that there will be 2,000 participants on the pilot scheme which will run for three years.

It is important to stress that a payment under the pilot Basic Income for Artists is not a social protection or income support payment. Rather it is a payment in recognition of the valuable contribution of the arts community and an incentive to encourage people to remain actively employed in the arts rather than seeking employment elsewhere.

Payments under the pilot scheme are income and will therefore be reckonable as income for the purposes of taxation. I understand that recipients will be required to make annual self-employment returns to the Office of the Revenue Commissioners on that basis.

Similarly, the Department of Social Protection will treat income from the scheme as income from self-employment for the purpose of its various means tests.

I trust this clarifies the position for the Deputy.