Mairéad Farrell (Galway West, Sinn Fein)
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71. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht to provide clarity on the basic income for artists pilot programme; his plans to support those working in the arts who may not qualify for the new jobseeker's pay-related benefit or jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed) when they are between jobs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26201/25]

Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick County, Fine Gael)
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The Programme for Government commits to assessing the Basic Income for the Arts pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. I fully appreciate the importance of the Basic Income support for artists and it is my intention to make an announcement on the next steps in the coming weeks. I know there is broad-based support for the scheme and I will be meeting shortly with the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) to hear its views on the scheme in detail.

Evaluation of the pilot is continuous and my Department is currently preparing a report examining the first 24 months of the scheme. This report will be available on gov.ie, along with the two reports published to date.

A further qualitative research paper, written by an independent researcher, will be published in the coming weeks. This paper collects the experiences of 50 BIA recipients, who have been interviewed by a sociologist.

It is clear from evidence collected to date under the scheme that it is having a positive impact on participants. This data shows that the BIA payment is having a consistent, positive impact across almost all indicators - affecting practice development, sectoral retention, well-being, and deprivation. Artists in receipt of the support are typically able to devote more time to their art, produce more pieces of work, experience a boost to their wellbeing through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support.

It is important to note that I have no statutory function in relation to Jobseeker's Benefit, this is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection. The Department of Social Protection administers a Professional Artist Scheme which is an income support under the means-tested Jobseeker’s Allowance scheme. This scheme may be available to artists who are not eligible for jobseeker's pay-related benefit or jobseeker’s benefit (self-employed).

A Government decision will be required on a successor scheme to the pilot, and the future of the BIA will be decided when the final results of the research are available which will provide the Government with the evidence base upon which to base future policy decisions about the Basic Income for the Arts.