Photograph: Dara Mac DónaillWhat is the basic income for artists scheme? The Basic Income for the Arts was introduced as a pilot scheme in 2022 by then minister for culture Catherine Martin. Some 8,000 artists applied for the basic income and 2,000 were chosen to avail of the €325 per week payments for three years. Thanks to the basic income, artists were able to spend an extra 11 hours per week on their art. In other words, an artist can apply and potentially be granted the basic income for a maximum of three years out of six.

Source: The Irish Times February 14, 2026 18:01 UTC