ARTS MINISTER PATRICK O’Donovan has backed retaining the Basic Income Scheme for artists.

The Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media has published a report into the scheme, where artists said the weekly stipend of €325 improved their mental health, made them feel more empowered and gave them much more stability in their life and work.

With other benefits cited such as helping to gain artists more sustainable housing, to starting families and establishing pension schemes, the scheme has been loudly welcomed by arts groups.

O’Donovan said that the research on a pilot of 2,000 artists shows that the impact of the Basic Income Scheme is “far-ranging”, affecting all aspects of recipients’ lives.

“Artists are investing more time and more money into their practice, completing more new artistic output, experiencing reduced anxiety, and are protected from the precariousness of incomes in the sector to a greater degree than those who are not receiving the support,” the Fine Gael minister said.

Arts Minister Patrick O'Donovan (centre) pictured with the National Campaign for the Arts steering group Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media

The commissioned report collected and analysed the experiences of Basic Income for the Arts recipients.

It found that providing a basic income for Ireland’s artists has helped to achieve the original aums, by assisting in reducing anxiety around making ends meet while increasing time for recipients to pursue their work.

This increased time for creative pursuits has resulted in greater artist autonomy and better greater ability to plan and navigate their own creative path.

Artists also reported that the scheme “significantly impacts” feelings of financial uncertainty in their lives.

As the pilot ends, it’s important to hear from the artists themselves. I am struck by the stories collected in this report. This paper complements my Department’s research to date which shows that the BIA payment is having a consistent, positive impact for those in receipt of it.

In a statement today, O’Donovan said he had met with the National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) last week to discuss the income scheme and was aware that there is broad sectoral support for it.

Minister O’Donovan added “I am heartened by the responses of the Basic Income recipients in this paper. This research will add to the evaluation being conducted by my Department, which to date clearly shows that the Basic Income Pilot has been an effective support for the artists in receipt of it. Per the Programme for Government I will evaluate the data from the pilot and then bring proposals to Government about next steps”.

The National Campaign for the Arts committee said that it “emphatically supports” the retention, extension and expansion of Basic Income for the Arts.

Calling it a “transformative policy”, the group said it has helped to support artists to “secure more sustainable housing, address health issues, start families and even establish pension schemes”.

The National Campaign for the Arts said that the findings “affirm what the arts sector has long known”, namely, that the “deep precarity of the arts requires sustained, courageous support—support that not only transforms the lives of artists, but also strengthens the society they help to shape”.

The paper published today found that artists felt an importance of “giving back” to their community and that the scheme had helped them to work on more projects within their locality.