Ireland's Basic Income for the Arts experiment has given creatives a weekly payment for three years. Now, a permanent program could be on the way.

As Ireland’s $1,500-a-month basic income pilot program for creatives nears its end in February, officials have to answer a simple question: Is it worth it?

With four months to go, they say the answer is yes.

Earlier this month, Ireland’s government announced its 2026 budget, which includes “a successor to the pilot Basic Income Scheme for the Arts to begin next year” among its expenditures.

Ireland is just one of many places experimenting with guaranteed basic income programs, which provide recurring, unrestricted payments to people in a certain demographic. These programs differ from a universal basic income, which would provide payments for an entire population.

    • floquant@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      1·
      19 hours ago

      What? How is it random? Having sold your art makes you a professional artist, by definition. Then they sampled at random because it’s a pilot program

      • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        12 hours ago

        How is it random?

        Then they sampled at random because it’s a pilot program

        Well, I see a connection here.

        • gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
          11·
          10 hours ago

          Then you’re daft.

          You have to be a part of an art organisation (as in a governing body that requires paid membership to join), and to have proof of being paid, multiple times, for making art

            • gwl@lemmy.blahaj.zoneEnglish
              1·
              7 hours ago

              for the initial trial period, also in my own words.

              It’s no longer in the trial period. No random samples. Just have to be a member of the governing body (which does take effort and a nominal fee to join)

              You do know the definition of Pilot Program, right?

              Here it is;

              Pilot Program: To test the feasibility of a path of action that is aiming to become more widespread, by choosing a smaller subset of the eligible people and then using the program on only that subset and analysing the results. If results are positive, then the program is approved and becomes widespread, if the results are negative or no change, then the program is not approved

              The document linked is about the Pilot Program, the details of the Full Program are not yet known, but it can be presumed that it will be the exact same as the Pilot Program minus the Random Sampling (as the point is to cover everyone that is eligible)

              Edit: spelling

              • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
                1·
                5 hours ago

                It’s no longer in the trial period. No random samples.

                That was exactly what you omitted to say: that they no longer do random sampling.