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.

  • Bennyboybumberchums@lemmy.worldEnglish
    24·
    6 hours ago

    And why should I? Why is my being fun or not have anything to do with other groups in society being more deserving of and offering more tangible evidence of, this being a good thing? Why am I the topic of conversation at all???

    You dont have to answer that, we both know why. Because its only ever morons who attack the poster and not the post. The way to go was challenging what I said, not that I said it and that because Im “not fun” I should be ignored.

    Honestly, imagine being this fucking butthurt because I said kids from underprivileged/poverty backgrounds would be better for something like this than fucking “artists”. The utter fucking state of the world.