Ireland’s basic income for artists became permanent

This comes from the February 14th edition of the Positive.News weekly newsletter.

A basic income scheme for artists that launched during the pandemic to kickstart Irish culture was made permanent this week.

Offering participants a weekly stipend of €325 (£283), the €25m (£21m) pilot helped more than 2,000 artists, although many more applied. According to an independent study, the scheme generated €100m (£87m) in “social and economic benefits” to Ireland’s economy.

Elinor O’Donovan (pictured) is among the artists to have been accepted onto the scheme, which was launched by the Irish government in 2022.

“Before I started receiving it, I was working part-time as a receptionist just to be able to afford my rent. I was thinking about moving to a country where I might be able to afford to live a bit cheaper,” she told Positive News.

“Now I work full-time as an artist. [The scheme] has given me the flexibility that the job of an artist requires and has allowed me to take risks. I’ve gone into film and I was able to pay other people to work with me on it.”

Although limited in scope, it’s the world’s first basic income scheme to be made permanent.

This serves as a good example of almost-UBI in action. The next step should involve widening its remit to make it available to everyone: to make it universal. Then those from the pool of “everyone” who wish to pursue a life as an artist will have the means to do so; as will those who want to pursue a life carving wood, mapping the local woods, or spending all day in a local pub.

They will have to bear in mind, though, that they will need to supplement their basic income, if they wish to live a luxurious life; whether as an artist, woodcarver, mapmaker, or pub darts champion. Either they will begin to accrue income from their passion Their art), or they will still need to factor-in some form of part-time work.

Or they will live simply.