Ireland's "Basic Income for Artists" experiment is successful: receiving US$1,500 per month reduces the worry of bread, and will become a permanent policy next year
Ireland’s Basic Income for the Arts (BIA) program implemented over the past three years has achieved good results and plans to make this basic income program permanent, adding empirical cases to the global basic income discussion.
(Preliminary summary: Shang Lun Lawyer's article "Universal basic income (UBI) and blockchain, are social safety nets under the wave of AI?")
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Contents of this article
The Irish government recently announced that the "Basic Income Plan for Artists" (Basic Income Plan) originally scheduled to end in 2025 for the Arts, BIA) will be written into the 2026 budget to establish permanent implementation guidelines.
This decision not only provides a stable backing for cultural workers, but also adds a rare piece of evidence to the global debate on Universal Basic Income (UBI).
Background and decision-making process
It is understood that the BIA plan will be launched in 2022. The plan was originally set to last for three years to observe whether fixed subsidies can increase creative energy. According to Business Insider, the government internally assessed that the trial performed better than expected and decided to make the policy permanent.
Culture Minister Patrick O’Donovan emphasized that artists are the source of the country’s soft power, and stable income allows creators to devote themselves to the production of works with peace of mind. He stated in the press conference:
"This project is the envy of the world and is a huge achievement for Ireland that must ensure sustainability and future prospects."
Arts Council Chair Maura McGrath also said that the policy provides stability and allows artists to "develop practice, innovate and make a meaningful contribution to Ireland's cultural landscape".
Data verification: Welfare and economy improve simultaneously
A survey released by the government showed that before the subsidies were implemented, 75% of artists had experienced depression or low mood, much higher than the national average of 34%. After continuously receiving subsidies, mental health indicators improved significantly, and the number of creative hours also increased.
A research report estimates that for every €1 invested, €1.39 of socio-economic value can be brought back. Public consultation results also show that 97% of the people support the continuation of the policy, providing a strong social consensus for the government to promote.
Global Perspective: New Evidence from the UBI Debate
In the context of the rapid advancement of AI artificial intelligence and automation, the UBI concept has attracted increasing attention. Technology leaders have repeatedly pointed out that the future work structure may be reshaped by machines, thereby increasing the risk of unemployment.
Ireland’s BIA, which targets small-scale, well-defined ethnic groups, provides a window into the feasibility of “basic income”. The government plans to expand the number of applicants in September 2026, possibly to 2,200.
Follow-up challenges and key points of observation
But even if the results are impressive, whether the policy can be maintained in the long term still needs to face three challenges: first, whether the continuous investment of financial resources can be balanced with other public expenditures; second, how to ensure fairness and transparency in the qualification identification process to avoid ostracizing marginal creators; third, whether it should be copied to other disadvantaged groups to avoid new resource allocation disputes.
These issues will determine whether the BIA can serve as a template for a larger basic income package.
