Successful applicants to Basic Income for the Arts scheme will be contacted soon

The first batch of successful applicants for the latest Basic Income for the Arts grant will soon be contacted, the government has said. All applicants are to receive an update about the scheme this week.

This announcement follows the release of Budget 2027, which allocates €34.4 million toward the scheme, expected to support 2,000 professional Irish artists. Over 10,000 people reportedly applied.

Before Tuesday's announcement, oppositional parties criticised the budget, including the delay in communication with this scheme. "There are glittering announcements on basic income for the arts, while applicants from May continue to be left in the dark about whether they were successful in their applications", said Social Democrat Sinéad Gibney TD.

The Department of Culture, Communications and Sport has now announced that successful applicants will be contacted in tranches, starting October 15. The first group may include up to 750 artists.

The scheme offers financial support to people who earn their living creating art in the Republic of Ireland. Participants will receive €325 per week (€1,413.21 monthly) for three years.

According to a statement by the department, artists who receive their initial payment this year will also receive payments backdated to September, while artists whose first payment arrives in 2027 will receive payments backdated to January.

"The evidence collected - both quantitative and qualitative - during the successful pilot phase demonstrated the clear need for the scheme," said Patrick O'Donovan, Minister of Culture, Communication and Sport.

"During the pilot, we heard the voices of artists themselves in relation to the precarious nature of their incomes, the challenges that this poses to their professional arts practice, and the detrimental impact on their wellbeing. Basic Income for the Arts is a game changer and now it is here to stay."

Basic Income for the Arts was launched by O'Donovan's predecessor, Catherine Martin, to support a sector in which people struggle with inadequate income and job insecurity. In late 2025, it was announced that the scheme would be made permanent.

Minister O'Donovan is currently in hospital for a health issue which began during an EU Presidency meeting at the University of Limerick on Tuesday.