Budget 2026: Artist says income scheme stays too narrow

Darren Kelleher, who owns and runs the Cork-based talent and actors agency Bloom.

Pending Budget 2026 measures that will make the Government’s basic income scheme for artists a permanent fixture has been criticised for not going far enough to help struggling artists.

Darren Kelleher, who owns and runs the Cork-based talent and actors agency Bloom, said it’s important that more artists are given the opportunity to hone their crafts without the added pressure of financial insecurity.

He said that the basic income scheme for artists, which provides a weekly payment of €325 to up-and-coming artists, needs to be further expanded to make a real difference in the industry.

Artists will be invited to apply for the scheme in September 2026 with eligibility broadened to include additional artistic disciplines. It comes on foot of a pilot programme launched in 2022 to facilitate the sector’s recovery after the covid-19 pandemic.

“If it could be rolled out on a larger scale to support all the genuine actors then it would be a godsend. The scheme offers equal status to the people in other industries who are telling actors that they should give up and have a normal job. When it comes to being an actor you have to beat every door down. After that you get small bits and you build and build. People in conventional jobs have access sooner, even to modest finances.” 

He added that an expansion of the scheme would prove beneficial for the whole industry.

“What happens is you get a job and you are put on minimum wage or an income that society deems respectable. The artist on the other hand is left trudging away for years, trying to balance their ambition with the fact that they have to pay rent and buy food. 

"There is a constant fear and anxiety that results in people leaving the industry. Unfortunately, the easiest part of being an actor is often leaving and this needs to end. It’s really difficult to get going when you don’t have the support to sustain you. 

"As a country, we are now in a place where we are busier than ever. There are a fortune of projects coming in from the US. There are also attractive tax breaks for people who produce their films and television shows in Ireland. The industry is roaring but if we don’t support the development of Irish talent then we are not going to produce as many great Irish actors. 

"The reality is that most well-known Irish actors had to go to the UK to build themselves. If we don’t support the industry here then it’s not going to grow.”