I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. I can tell that she has a very personal interest in this, and that speaks to the person she is. I thank her for tabling the matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for housing. The response to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a cross-departmental and multi-agency issue, with overall policy co-ordinated by the Department of Justice. Responsibility for the development and provision of services to support victims rests with my colleague the Minister for Justice, working in conjunction with Cuan, the statutory domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency under the remit of the Department of Justice. As regards the waiting list for social housing, it is not possible for a household previously on one social housing waiting list to carry the time spent on that list when applying to another local authority. However, local authorities may provide for exceptional or emergency cases to qualified households, allowing immediate housing outside of normal waiting list priorities, including cases of domestic violence. They may also reserve a certain proportion of dwellings for, among other things, allocation to particular categories of households, particular forms of tenure, and households transferring from other forms of social housing support. Decisions on the allocation of social housing support are a matter solely for the local authority concerned. I know the Deputy knows that. In fairness, she has made that very clear and she is just looking for a little understanding in highlighting the case here. I have to outline the rules and she knows them. I think we both agree that a methodology needs to be found here to assist in an exceptional case like this. Each application must be considered on its own merits and the individual circumstances taken into account. Local authorities will prioritise allocations to those households they consider to be most in need, which can include victims of domestic violence. In June 2022, the Department of Justice published Zero Tolerance: Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual & Gender-Based Violence 2022-2026, which is a cross-departmental and multi-agency plan with overall policy co-ordinated by the Department of Justice. As an action in this strategy, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage committed to a review of the 2017 policy and procedural guidance for housing authorities in relation to assisting victims of domestic violence with emergency and long-term accommodation needs in order to ensure continuing effectiveness and consistency in responses to assist victims of domestic violence. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage is engaging with Cuan, the domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency, on this review and proposed recommendations arising from the review. I will forward the Deputy's comments to the Minister. It might be worth her while feeding into that strategy as well as a direct response. However, it is clear from the response I have given that there is flexibility in the local authority. Nobody has the capacity to direct from central government a local authority to do anything other than what the guidelines say, but there is flexibility there. I will talk to the Minister and if any kind of enhanced case can be made to assist the Deputy, it is something we can talk about at a later time.

Sentiment score: 0.15

I have known the Deputy for a long time. I am aware of the sincerity she brings to the issue. This is not the usual banter that goes on in here. I will meet the woman in question with the Deputy at a time to be decided next week, if we can. I will talk to the officials in the Department to see if a signal can be sent that these are exceptional circumstances. The reply provided to me indicates that there is flexibility and that local authorities can seek to prioritise allocations to households they consider to be most in need, which can include the victims of domestic violence. That is on the record, if that provides some comfort to officials. I have dealt with similar cases. Officials are afraid to break the seal because it may set a precedent that makes it more difficult for them to do their job. The Deputy presented plenty of evidence to support her case. This was not a minor skirmish; somebody ended up in jail as a result of the violence that was perpetrated. There is clearly a belief on the part of the Garda that there is still a threat. It may be about producing some evidence of exceptional circumstances that will work for the local authority involved. I also have to be clear that the local authority has ultimate responsibility and is not at the behest of central government or the Department in discharging its fundamental duties. We must be careful that we do not grey out those lines. Let use see if we can progress the matter as best we can.

Sentiment score: 0.02

I know the Deputy has a long-term interest in this area. She has been extremely supportive of the scheme. The basic income for the arts pilot research scheme was the number one recommendation by the arts and culture recovery task force during the Covid-19 pandemic. The task force unanimously agreed that a basic income for artists was the best way to help the to sector recover after the pandemic and prevent a loss of talent to other sectors. Two impact papers have already been published by the Department, with another due in the coming months. The latest data relating to the basic income for the arts is available on gov.ie. It is a priority for the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, to ensure that the research is completed in order to assess and maximise the impact of the basic income for the arts in line with the programme for Government commitment. While the research pilot is due to end in August, the basic income for the arts is fully funded to the end of the year. The Department is currently reviewing the data available to date and, as part of this review of the research, will shortly consider proposals regarding the next steps. The data from basic income for the arts pilot research scheme will feed into the Government's consideration of those next steps. The research will form the evidence base upon which the Government can base future policy proposals in this area. The Minister will shortly publish a qualitative research paper based on interviews on the basic income for the arts which provides the lived experience of some of those in receipt of the basic income for the arts. The Department is also undertaking a cost-benefit analysis to obtain a more complete assessment of the impacts of the scheme. As the Deputy will be aware, there is a commitment in the programme for Government to assess the basic income for artists pilot research scheme to maximise its impact. While the research phase of the pilot scheme is ongoing, it is clear from evidence collected to date that the payment is having a positive impact on participants. The research data collected so far shows that the basic income for the arts payment is having a consistent positive impact across all indicators, positively 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, experience a boost to their well-being through greater life satisfaction and reduced anxiety and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those not receiving the support. The scheme is underpinned by a gold standard research methodology know as a randomised control trial. This consists of two groups of randomly selected people. One is receiving the basic income payment, the treatment group, while the other, the control group, is not. Analysis of the results involves a comparison of averages between the two groups. As the groups have similar characteristics at baseline and are large, any difference arising during the trial can be assumed to have been caused by the policy. For example, the data shows that those in receipt of the payment completed, on average, almost four new pieces of work more in the past six months than their counterparts in the control group and are 14% more likely to have completed new work. Some 2,000 artists have benefited from the payment of €325 a week since August 2022. There were more than 8,200 eligible applicants for the scheme. The 2,000 recipients were chosen through an anonymised random selection process. In addition, almost 1,000 artists agreed to participate in a control group. These participants are providing the same data as those in receipt of the basic income for the arts but do not receive the weekly payment. The participation of those in the control group has been critical in assessing the impact of the basic income for the arts and gathering the data for the research outlined. As of now, no decision has been taken on the future of the scheme while the data is still being collated and analysed. However, I assure Deputy Sherlock that the issue is foremost in the Minister's mind. As he stated in the Dáil last week, he fully appreciates the importance of the basic income support for artists and is acutely aware that the pilot is due to conclude in August. It is the Minister's intention to make an announcement on the next steps in the coming weeks. The Minister knows there is a broad base of support for the scheme and for the arts research project in the House.

Sentiment score: 0.18

The Minister has advised me that he will meet shortly with the National Campaign For the Arts, NCFA, to hear its views on the scheme in detail. Department officials met the NCFA on 25 April last. It is important to note that the pilot is a research programme and that no decision has been taken as to the continuation of the basic income for the arts. The research evaluating the impact of the pilot scheme is ongoing. A Government decision will be required on a successor scheme. The pilot and the future of the basic income for the arts scheme will be decided when the final results of the research become available. This will provide the Government with the evidence upon which to base future decisions about the basic income for the arts. It is clear from the data, even at this stage, without all of the analysis being done, that it has had a positive impact. Ultimately, however, it will be a matter for the Government to decide what is going to happen. Deputy Sherlock raised a specific issue. I will revert to the Department on that. I have been provided with information to the effect that the pilot is funded until the end of the year for those in the group that is already part of it. In any wider scheme, we will have to look at the wider impact. If there is a scheme to go beyond the pilot project, it will have to include everyone. Of course, there are budgetary issues that will arise and these will inform the Government's decision. I expect that this would be part of the next budgetary process and the round of Estimates in preparation for budget 2026. I will bring the Deputy Sherlock's concerns to the attention of the Minister, although he is well aware of them because the Deputy has raised this issue on many occasions. I thank her for continuing to raise it. I have had a chance to meet with various artists who have really seen the value in such a scheme. They believe it supports them in their work. It is not a handout but is very much a support for the arts. Even in times of lesser finances we were able to support the arts sector generally. It is a really important part of our culture and heritage and will obviously remain important into the future.

Sentiment score: 0.17