The next speaker is Senator Cosgrove. We will just wait for the Minister of State, Deputy McConalogue.

Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Nach éagóir é go bhfuil ealaíontóirí na tíre á gcur ar stáitse againn chun saibhreas cultúrtha na tíre a léiriú, ach iad beo bocht? Níl sé sin ceart ar chor ar bith. Since ancient times, we Irish have been famous for literature, storytelling, music and whatever we generally call "the arts". It is a term that is used to describe a wide variety of creative work from which we, as individuals and a society, benefit. We lean on the arts in this country, from visual art, painting, sculpture, film, performing arts, theatre, circus and spectacle to the composition of literature and music. Especially in my part of the world, we all know how much we rely on that arts. They have such an impact on people's lives. Nearly everyone engages with some level of art in their daily lives.

There is no accurate way to count how many people are actively involved in the arts as creators at a professional level but we know it is a massive amount of people. We can say with certainty, however, that over 10,000 artists and creative workers applied for the initial pilot of the basic income for artists in 2022, and that 2,000 of those artists and creative workers were selected for inclusion in the pilot. Those lucky enough to be selected between 2022 and 2026 received a payment of €325 per week. It was used by them to support them in a professional practice. We are all familiar with the historic link between artists and poverty, and the reality is that it is ongoing. Many artists live in poverty. We rely on them so much. Last Wednesday, at the launch of our EU Presidency, it was wonderful for us to show the world the creative richness we have here.

In 2025, the Arts Council produced a toolkit, Fair Pay, Fair Practice. Its purpose is admirable and it is consistent with values that I believe in. In my previous job, I worked to support artists. The fact that the Arts Council had to produce this policy toolkit clearly demonstrates that everybody who works in the arts knows the work that artists do and that they are not paid fairly for their work. There are unseen hours of preparation, research and gathering materials. In other professions, you would get paid for that, but for some reason, that work when done by creatives goes without pay.

Organisations employ artists at rates that never reflect that value of what they produce. They are not the ones to blame for this. To attribute a financial value to something that may be conceptual or dependent on taste is a challenge. I understand it is a challenge. This is why the basic income for artists works. It is about ensuring that artists have a basic income on which they can rely, allowing them to concentrate purely on the value of their product rather than spending so long either in part-time work or filling out unnecessary forms and grant applications.

During the downturn, which started in 2008, the consequences of which we are still living with, an estimated 48% of artists left their practice. Imagine that this scheme had been in operation since then. Who did we lose from the art world before they ever got the chance to shine?

In fairness, I will give deserved respect to the former Minister, Catherine Martin. She deserves great respect for bringing in the scheme. The fact that the pilot has been extended to a full and permanent scheme, which will run on a three-year cycle from 2026 to 2029, demonstrates the commitment of the current Minister. I am asking whether there is any intention to build on it. We know it works. We know how much as a country we lean on artistic ability. We lean on creativity. People definitely do not come here for the weather. They come here for the richness of our culture and heritage. We saw the number of people who applied and were approved for the scheme. Could it be extended? Could the basic income for artists be extended so we give the artists the commitment and recognition in monetary value that they deserve?

I thank the Senator for raising this Commencement matter on an important initiative for the State and the Government, that is, the basic income for artists scheme. It is a once-in-a-generation policy intervention that has the potential to transform the lives of artists, as confirmed by the research published during the pilot.

Last year, the Department conducted a public consultation on the basic income for the arts. This consultation received over 17,000 submissions, with 97% of respondents in favour of making the scheme permanent. This shows that the value of the basic income for the arts is appreciated not only by those in the arts sector but also by society at large.

In February, the Government agreed to make the basic income for the arts scheme permanent. This is a major milestone for the arts in Ireland. Research conducted by the Department provided the Government with a clear evidence base upon which to make that decision. With an allocation of €18.27 million for this year, the Department is in a position to fund 2,000 artists. At the launch of the new scheme in February, the Minister, Deputy O’Donovan, stated that, over time, he would like to expand the scheme beyond 2,000 artists, should more funding become available in the future.

The successor scheme to the basic income for the arts pilot saw just over 10,000 applications received by the deadline of 12 May. Assessment of applications is ongoing and will take place over the summer, with payments to 2,000 artists beginning before the end of this year. All applicants had to complete a comprehensive survey at the time of application. Those who will receive the payment will provide data on an ongoing basis. A diversity of arts practices, ages and geographical distribution is visible in the applications submitted. The data collected as part of the application is a snapshot of the sector in 2026 and will be a great resource for the Department in developing future policy for the arts. A report setting out this data will be published in due course. Compliance with eligibility will be continuously recorded and assessed throughout the time a recipient receives the payment. All successful participants will need to register with Revenue as self-employed and pay Schedule D income tax where appropriate on basic income for the arts payments.

The goals of the scheme are to incentivise the development and growth of professional creative practice through self-employment; to counter the earnings instability and precarious nature of working in the arts and the detrimental effect it has on an artist’s well-being; to foster artists’ agency and safeguard freedom of expression; to retain talent in the sector by reducing the need for artists to work outside of the arts for economic reasons; to support and expand the sector thanks to spillover effects including hiring of collaborators, expenditure on materials and emergence of new projects; to support social cohesion and societal well-being by creating more opportunities for citizens to engage in the arts and to offer a larger selection of artworks and performances to enjoy; and to recognise the contribution of artists to a pluralistic society and their contribution to the vibrancy of communities across the nation.

It is a significant departure. It is an innovative and welcome scheme. I agree with the Senator on the prioritisation that the previous Minister, Catherine Martin, gave to developing the pilot. It is something that the current Government and I as Minister of State in the Department are very committed to. It is a wonderful opportunity. The objective will be to see how it can be built on. The pilot in the first place was a significant step forward, as was the decision this year to put it on a permanent basis. From this year on, we will see 2,000 people as a baseline participating in it. We will monitor it and see its impact. It is a significant decision by the State in recognition of the importance of the arts and the role artists play in our national civic life and cultural life. We will see how we can continue to build on the recognition and prioritisation we are giving the arts through the basic income for the arts scheme.

It is reassuring to hear that there is a commitment to continue it. I am delighted that it has been made permanent. It is hard enough, though, as not everyone is eligible. Praxis, the artists' union, would urge that anyone eligible should receive it. We need more art, not less. All jobs and workers are under threat from AI but creative workers are particularly vulnerable. We see how much we as a society lean on it. I believe there is research that shows that, for every euro spent on the basic income for the arts scheme, €1.39 is returned to the economy. That is an incredible figure. Artists are spending their money locally, bringing communities together through it. I hope the commitment will continue and we will look at extending it to anyone eligible.

I thank the Senator for her advocacy for the arts and this scheme. I agree that we need to see more art, not less. We need within our society to ensure that there is space and support for artists to follow their creative abilities, develop them and have that potential realised for themselves and for society generally. The basic income for the arts is a significant step forward and departure in that regard. We are paving new ground internationally. I have attended European Council meetings where there has been significant interest from other member states in what we are doing, given that what we are trying to achieve is pioneering. The approach taken in developing a pilot, learning from that and now putting it on a permanent basis is a sensible one designed to make the most impact in how we design the scheme. Our collective objective should be to see how we can build on that and make sure that the arts community and people with artistic ability in our communities are supported in a way that enables that talent to flourish and contribute to wider society.