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
    2·
    7 hours ago

    So you are saying that no single authority can define who is or isn’t an artist because art is personal? I agree.

    • Treczoks@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      7 hours ago

      And that was the very reason why I asked how an “Artist” is defined under that rule.

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

        Yeah, I guess we disagree on what that means. From my understanding, the fact that such an authority can not exist means to you that the system will be corrupt or unfair, because someone ultimately needs to decide whether you qualify or not. I disagree with that and think you can just skip the authority altogether. Just verify they are not employed and have sold some threshold amount of art, or made performances, over 6 months or something