Irish artists to receive €325 a week basic income from the government
- Text by Isaac Muk
Basic Income for the Arts — The scheme will begin next year, with 2,000 spaces initially allocated in the budget.
Ireland’s government has approved the permanent implementation of its Basic Income for the Arts scheme, which will see Irish artists receiving €325 a week.
The policy, which was first introduced in 2022 as a pilot programme, meant that 2,000 artists – including musicians and creatives – received the weekly stipend. Now permanent, the initial budget includes funding for 2,000 artists, with the potential to increase to 2,200 if funding becomes available.
According to RTE, an independent report undertaken earlier this year found that those receiving the Basic Income for the Arts payments spent more time creating work and art, were less stressed about their finances, as well as having improved mental well-being.
Speaking at Ireland’s Budget 2026 press conference, the Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport Patrick O’Donovan said: “The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme, which I extended this year, will end in 2026, and I will bring a successor scheme to government with the intention of embedding a permanent basic income in the arts and culture sector.”
He continued: “This scheme is the envy of the world, and a tremendous achievement for Ireland, and must be made futureproof and sustainable.”
The move comes in an ever-more challenging landscape for artists in Ireland. Rising rents and insecure work have led to greater instability, making the prospect of sustaining a career in the arts less accessible for many.
At the same time, spaces for the arts have been hit. According to Music Venue Trust, 125 music venues closed down in Ireland in 2023, with a further 46 shuttering for good in 2024.
Isaac Muk is Huck’s digital editor. Follow him on Bluesky.
Buy your copy of Huck 82 here.
Enjoyed this article? Follow Huck on Instagram and sign up to our newsletter for more from the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture.
Support stories like this by becoming a member of Club Huck.
You might like
Young, Irish and facing up to an uncertain future
United in youth, divided in Dublin — Photographer Daragh Soden has documented a new generation of Dubliners: one growing up in crisis, paying for their parents' mistakes, yet defiantly confident.
Written by: Cian Traynor
Taking shots with Ireland’s underage drinkers
A day at the races — Last month, photographer George Voronov headed to the Galway Races – a yearly event which sees traditional Irishness collide with contemporary youth culture.
Written by: George Voronov
The dreamy, surfy sounds of Cactus for Breakfast
Vitamin B — The Berlin-based band blends eclectic lyrics and influences spanning The Ventures, King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard and Fela Kuti into a swirl of garage psych. We caught up with them as they brought their jubilant live show to Huck’s showcase on the final night of SXSW London.
Written by: Roxana Diba
Huck's SXSW gig was a sweat-soaked rager
Huck it's so hot: At Village Underground for SXSW London’s final night, Huck co-curated a bill featuring Honey I’m Home, Cactus For Breakfast, Master Peace and shame – here's what went down.
Written by: Ella Glossop
Analogue Appreciation: Balming Tiger
Gongbu — In an ever more digital, online world, we ask our favourite artists about their most cherished pieces of physical culture. Today, it’s K-pop experimentalists Balming Tiger.
Written by: Balming Tiger
Horst Festival is a blueprint for a creative, collective future
Hymn — Highlighted by an engrossing performance directed by Fallon Mayanja, the 2026 edition was a showcase of ASIAT Park’s ever-evolving space as an incubator for art, music and creativity.
Written by: Isaac Muk
