The Government must stop dithering and make a decision to extend the Basic Income for the Arts scheme before the current pilot runs out, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly.<\/p>\n
Deputy Farrelly, who\u2019s the party\u2019s Arts spokesperson, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I queried the Arts Minister on his plans for a successor scheme to the pilot that provides a basic income to artists, the Minister said a government decision has yet to be made.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder the pilot scheme, 2,000 artists have been in receipt of \u20ac325 per week since August 2022. However, this scheme runs out in just five months – and these artists are now increasingly anxious because they have no information about what is coming next.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis pilot has been a huge success and should not only be retained but expanded and made permanent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve spoken to some artists in receipt of the payment and they say it has made a huge difference to their lives \u2013 it has given them the finances and head space to devote more time to their art with great results.<\/p>\n
\u201cArtists need to be able to plan for creating work and performing. As the deadline for the end of the pilot approaches, they will be unable to do this – with many already wondering how they will make ends meet.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is hugely disappointing to learn now that no firm decision has been made to extend the scheme and ensure more artists can avail of it. This dithering and delay must end.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs a nation we have always valued the arts and artists, and their contribution to our culture, society and economy – this scheme is a modest investment with substantial returns.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Basic Income for the Arts must be made permanent if we are to truly nurture arts and culture – crucial aspects of our national identity.\u201d<\/p>\n
March 7th, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Government must stop dithering and make a decision to extend the Basic Income for the Arts scheme before the current pilot runs out, according to Social Democrats TD Aidan Farrelly. Deputy Farrelly, who\u2019s the party\u2019s Arts spokesperson, said: \u201cWhen I queried the Arts Minister on his plans for a successor scheme to the pilot […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11557,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[396,675,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11844","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aidan-farrelly","category-arts","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n