The Irish government has announced that a pilot scheme providing artists and creatives with a weekly stipend of €325 (£283) will be made permanent. The scheme, which was first introduced in 2022, was launched in an attempt to mitigate the growing financial instability many in the creative industries face.
The basic income for the arts (BIA) initial pilot ran from 2022 to 2025 and helped 2,000 artists. The results of an independent study found that it had a noticeable positive impact on the lives of those who received it.
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The decision to make BIA permanent will put pressure on policymakers to extend it to other sectors. However, a 2019 estimation of a basic income for every Irish resident over the age of 18 was costed at €41 billion (£36 billion) per year, making it politically unfeasible for now.
The current scheme costs a mere €25 million. This low cost does though provide some scope for the BIA’s expansion, which might occur in the event of an existential threat to jobs and livelihoods.
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How do people qualify as ‘artists’ for this? Are there clawbacks for those who earn non ‘artistic’ income?
In france it’s a “status”, so you ask for it at Maison des artistes, literally the house of artists. You get free entry to museuns, lower taxes when you sell your art etc. It’s quite regulated and you can’t just subscribe to it. I guess there is a similar system in Ireland.