Irish musicians to start receiving €1,400 basic income each month

A milestone basic income scheme for artists in Ireland is set to begin rolling out this month, paying musicians and creative workers more than €34 million over the next three years.

The scheme, which was officially announced last year , will support 2,000 selected artists across Ireland, paying over €1,400 per month to those who have been chosen from a batch of more than 10,000 applicants.

In a “major update” shared on Tuesday, October 13, by the National Campaign for the Arts (NCA), it was revealed that the Irish government has secured €34.4 million in Budget 2027 to fund the scheme.

"2,000 professional artists will receive €325 per week for three years," they said. "All applicants will receive a status update this week. Payments will be made monthly at €1,413.21."

The first 750 successful applicants began receiving notifications via email from Thursday, October 15, they confirmed. Payments will be backdated to September, while a second batch of artists selected in 2027 will receive payments backdated to January next year.

"This marks a significant milestone for artists in Ireland, establishing a long-term scheme built on the evidence and success of the Basic Income for the Arts Pilot," the NCA said.

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The Basic Income for the Arts scheme was first piloted in 2022 after being secured by the Minister for Culture, Patrick O’Donovan. It aimed to "address the financial instability faced by many working in the arts".

The NCA congratulated Patrick O’Donovan and his department on their "work towards this, and in particular former minister Catherine Martin, for starting the scheme."

Find out more about the Basic Income for the Arts scheme here .

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