'Ground-breaking' income scheme for artists to be launched before Easter 

Arts Minister Catherine Martin with, from left, Kieran Hanrahan, chair of Culture Ireland and artistic director of Tradfest; Niamh O’Malley, artist representing Ireland at the Venice Biennale 2022; and Clíodhna Shaffrey, director of Temple Bar Gallery + Studios and curator of Ireland at Venice at the announcement on Wednesday of Ireland’s participation at Venice Biennale 2022. Picture: Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie

A "ground-breaking" scheme to provide artists with a universal basic income is to be launched before Easter.

Arts Minister Catherine Martin has said an announcement on the pilot scheme is "imminent" and those who qualify for the support will begin receiving payments within weeks of this.

"We've been a nation who talk a lot about valuing the arts, but this is our opportunity to actually show it and to be more active on it," she said.

It is expected that up to 2,000 artists will be able to avail of the pioneering basic income for the arts pilot scheme.

Artists chosen for the pilot will be given a basic income for three years, to allow them to focus on their practice, to minimise the loss of skills from the arts as a result of the pandemic and to contribute to the sector's gradual regrowth post-pandemic.

Ms Martin said: "We have consulted very closely with the stakeholders on this, with an online consultation forum in December. Then there was a public consultation that received over 1,200 submissions, which shows the extent of the interest in this and indeed it's received a lot of international attention as well, because it is a groundbreaking support, but so well deserved.

She added: "When I make the announcement — and that is imminent — then it will open up to applications. Obviously that will take a period of weeks to process and then they will get their payments."

The Arts and Culture Recovery Task Force had recommended the income be set at the national minimum wage (currently €10.50 an hour), and cover an average working week (currently 33.1 hours a week according to the CSO). This would mean a weekly income of about €347 a week for those in the pilot.

Huge benefits of hosting 2028 European Championship

Separately, Ms Martin said if successful, the FAI's involvement in hosting football's 2028 European Championship would have huge benefits at grassroots level.

The Russian Football Union plans a rival bid for Euro 2028 despite currently being locked out of Fifa and Uefa competitions, according to reports.

The Cabinet has officially backed the FAI's involvement in a bid to host the 2028 Euros alongside Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland.

"I think it's good news for the country. It's good news from a north-south east-west relations, you could have up to 300,000 spectators in the country and 150,000 of those could be from abroad, so it's good from a tourism and sporting point of view."

She said if the bid is successful, teams arriving here would require training grounds which would be "good news" for local clubs.

Directly asked if she has confidence in the FAI and in its ability to host such an event, Ms Martin said: "I think the FAI has done great work and we're not where we were many years ago and I think it's the work they're doing now with the grassroots and the memo of understanding, and we have worked those things out."

She said she would not speculate on the specific costs associated with holding such a tournament but added: "What I can tell you the from assessments to date is the cost will be far outweighed in multiples by the benefits to the economy and that is something that we can confirm."