129. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport if his Department plans to expand the basic income for the arts scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34053/25]

Sentiment score: 0.11

I was sorry to hear about the Minister's ill health recently and I wish him the best of luck with it in future too. The basic income for the arts scheme is an initiative we in Aontú have supported for many years. Many artists live in poverty and deprivation and have lives full of economic anxiety. The basic income for the arts scheme is designed to reduce that deprivation and to help artists to create. Will the scheme be expanded in a manner that will encompass more than the current 2,000 recipients of this income?

Sentiment score: 0.11

First of all, it is interesting that we do not know the net cost. We know the cost but many of these recipients were on social welfare previously. I ask the Minister to speak to the other aspect of this, namely, the impact it is having on the creative sector at present. Much of the study, and the information, has been on the 2,000 recipients but there is a control group of 6,000 other individuals who applied for this income. I would be interested to know how those in the control group are experiencing being an artist in an economically difficult situation. If that information was available to the Opposition, it would be an important part of the discussion and the development of this fund. It is worrisome that there is no evidence as yet - maybe it is the Minister's plan - that the scheme will be expanded to the other 6,000 people who have applied for this. There are few income supports that are given at random to a small sample of the people who need them. Most income supports are given to everybody who needs them.

Sentiment score: 0.14

One of the difficulties is that for many, in reality, being an artist is synonymous with poverty. While now and again on the news or in the newspapers we see people who do economically well from their art, they are a tiny minority of that group. Historically, we know of artists who died as paupers only to have their art appreciated after their deaths. It is important that there is an understanding of the value of the work artists do in reflecting back to society who we are and what we are about. There should be space given for that cohort of individuals to be able to create and produce their work. I ask the Minister that any information he currently has on the impact of the fund on the creativity of the 2,000 artists who are in receipt of it, but also any of the qualitative analysis of the control group, be given to the Opposition as soon as possible or published in order that we can understand the benefits better.

Sentiment score: 0.19