Ireland announces long-term income support for artists—but some from pilot scheme say they have been left in limbo

Ireland announced a permanent “Basic Income for the Arts” (BIA) scheme on 10 February 2026, committing around €18 million, following a pilot that ran from 2022 to 2025. The pilot provided 2,000 artists with €325 per week, but participants say the end of payments last month and the delay until the second half of 2026 for new payments has created financial uncertainty. Applications for the permanent scheme are set to open in May 2026 and be assessed over the summer, with eligibility criteria still pending at the time of reporting. Artists including writer Eva Kenny and artist-writer Day Magee describe disruptions to planning and complications with other means-tested benefits during the transition.

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