645. Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice asked the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport to allow for a person (details supplied) to make a change to their application for the basic income for artists in light of the criteria being changed after the applicant had made their application; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30018/26]

I was delighted to open the successor scheme to the Basic Income for the Arts pilot last  week. Guidelines for the new scheme were published on 1st April and application will be open for the scheme until Tuesday 12th May, with 2,000 places available for artists to receive a weekly payment of €325.

This is a major milestone for the arts in Ireland and I am particularly pleased that the research my Department conducted provided Government with a clear evidence base upon which to make that decision.

The matter raised by your correspondent was also raised with my Department by the VAI (Visual Artists' Ireland). The matter surrounding VAI documents which will be accepted has been clarified and your correspondent has been communicated with directly.

The Deputy will appreciate the very large volume of queries that my officials are currently managing; that the closing date for applications is 5pm on 12th May; and that officials are answering emails both in the order they come in and also through a triage system (prioritising those who need a response urgently and also ensuring that they have as complete information as possible when responding).

While the Department cannot pre-validate applications, if my officials have queries about a specific VAI proof when they are assessing applications, they will be able to approach VAI for verification. They may also request further information from applicants if that is necessary. This will apply to applications submitted before 20th April in particular. Your correspondent has similarly been notified of this.

The focus of the successor scheme is to support professional artists whose creative practice is based in Ireland. With an allocation of €18.27 million for 2026, the Department is in a position to fund 2,000 artists. The 2026-2029 BIA scheme is focused on artists with an active professional practice.

This is a ground-breaking support for the arts in Ireland and recognising the importance of supporting artistic practice and makes Ireland a world-leader in how we support our artists and culture and will help to sustain the careers of those artists who will receive it and retain their talent in the arts sector.