Overview
- Applications open in May with guidelines due in April, assessments run over the summer, and payments are scheduled to begin before year-end.
- Each three-year cycle supports 2,000 eligible artists selected by random draw after vetting, followed by a three‑month taper for those finishing.
- The scheme’s €18.27 million Budget 2026 allocation sets the initial scale, and the minister signaled plans to seek expansion subject to future funding.
- A government-commissioned analysis found the trial more than recouped its €72 million net cost, including an estimated €1.39 societal return per €1 invested, alongside reduced deprivation and anxiety.
- The Department of Social Protection treats the payment as self-employment income, leaving potential impacts on disability and means-tested supports unresolved.