The Government has announced details of a new permanent Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) scheme, which will succeed the pilot programme introduced in 2022.
Applications for the scheme will open in May, with guidelines to be published in April.
The scheme was approved by the Cabinet this week and is described by the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, as "a major milestone for the arts in Ireland".
It will operate in three-year cycles and provide a weekly payment of €325 to 2,000 eligible artists based in the Republic of Ireland. Artists selected for the scheme will receive the payment for three years, followed by a three-month tapering-off period.
Under the eligibility rules, artists may receive support for three out of every six years. This means that an artist selected for the 2026–2029 cycle will not be eligible for the subsequent cycle, but may reapply for the following one.
Artists who participated in the original pilot scheme, which ran from September 2022 to February 2026, may apply again if they meet the new criteria.
The scheme has been allocated €18.27 million under Budget 2026. Applications will be assessed over the summer, with payments to successful applicants due to begin before the end of the year.
Announcing the scheme, Mr O’Donovan said he was "delighted" that it had been approved by the Cabinet. "This is a major milestone for the arts in Ireland and how we support the arts," he said.
"I am particularly pleased that the research my Department conducted provided Government with a clear evidence base upon which to make that decision. Ireland is a global leader in the area of artist supports because of the BIA."
The original pilot scheme was launched in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic and was accompanied by an extensive research programme.
Findings showed that recipients were able to spend more time on their artistic practice, produce more work, and experienced higher life satisfaction and reduced anxiety compared with non-recipients.
An external cost-benefit analysis of the pilot found that for every €1 invested, society received a return of €1.39. A public survey conducted last September found 97% support for making the scheme permanent.
Speaking at the launch in Dublin, Mr O’Donovan said the scheme was "a start" and expressed a desire to expand it in future.
"I’m delighted to be the minister, for the first time in the history of the State, to be able to say that we now have, on a permanent basis, a basic income structure that will really revolutionise and, in many ways, set Ireland apart from other countries with regard to how we value culture and creativity," he said.
