Minister intends to retain arts income scheme following report

The covid support scheme  increased time for arts lead to 'greater artist autonomy', which gave them more of an ability to plan and 'navigate their own creative paths'

As part of the scheme launched by then minister Catherine Martin in 2022, some 2,000 eligible artists and creative arts workers were selected at random out of more than 9,000 applicants to receive €325 a week. File Picture: Chani Anderson

Artists who received a basic €325 weekly payment were subject to less financial stress, had more time to create art, and took on more ambitious projects, a report has found.

Examining the results of the basic income scheme introduced at the tail end of the pandemic, the report found that recipients had “reduced anxiety around making ends meet”. This increased their time to create art.