Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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37. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will consider dramatically increasing the number of participants in the basic income for the arts pilot scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56505/22]

Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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The Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) pilot scheme was a key priority for me as Minister with responsibility for arts and culture. The pilot was also the number one recommendation of the Arts and Culture Recovery Taskforce and I was very pleased to have been able to deliver on this recommendation with the first payments on the scheme being made two weeks ago.

2,000 recipients will be paid €325 a week for three years. 1,000 control group members will be paid €650 per year to engage in the data collection. The scheme will cost €35m per year (€105m in total). The scheme is a pilot research scheme and is operating within a limited budget. It is not my intention to increase the number of recipients for the scheme at this time.

Research findings on the impact of the pilot on the individuals and their practices, the sector and ecology of the arts in Ireland will form part of the pilot also. While I have no plans to increase the number of participants in the pilot scheme, the research involved will inform future Government policy in the arts and has the potential to change the landscape of the arts in Ireland and how we fund it.