Words: Dylan Murphy
A new report from the government’s arts and culture recovery taskforce suggests 55,000 workers could benefit from the scheme.
Today, the cabinet will discuss a basic income scheme for those in the arts and culture sector.
Since the beginning of the pandemic many artists and workers within the arts industry have been left without work. The report will be presented by Minister for Arts Catherine Martin and will recommend a basic income scheme is introduced for those in the sector.
The tax-free payment would be between €250 and €300 a week and would help around 55,000 workers in the arts meet essential living costs.
It follows news in a recent survey that before the pandemic, 72 per cent of artists working in Ireland were earning below minimum wage.