Ireland's Basic Income for the Arts experiment has given creatives a weekly payment for three years. Now, a permanent program could be on the way.

As Ireland’s $1,500-a-month basic income pilot program for creatives nears its end in February, officials have to answer a simple question: Is it worth it?

With four months to go, they say the answer is yes.

Earlier this month, Ireland’s government announced its 2026 budget, which includes “a successor to the pilot Basic Income Scheme for the Arts to begin next year” among its expenditures.

Ireland is just one of many places experimenting with guaranteed basic income programs, which provide recurring, unrestricted payments to people in a certain demographic. These programs differ from a universal basic income, which would provide payments for an entire population.

  • Corridor8031@lemmy.mlEnglish
    58·
    18 days ago

    as long as influencers dont count as artists, does this sound great

    edit: i still want everyone to get UBI and like rather have artists + influencers than none

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
      48·
      18 days ago

      That attitude is why the wealthy will always insist on means testing to oppose progress…

      The attitude we need is:

      I hope as many people as possible get it now, and we’ll keep working on the rest.

      Influencers suck, pretty much as a rule.

      But everyone deserves to live. And them being UBI proponents and constantly talking about it because they’re genuinely happy they got it is a hell of a lot better than them taking cash from a billionaire to pit us against each other.

      • Corridor8031@lemmy.mlEnglish
        15·
        18 days ago

        i mean i get what you mean, and i ofc also want UBI for everyone

        But i still think giving it to influencers specifically at this point is just further encouraging shitty behaviour, i think this will just make even more people try that, and to get any relevancy they would have to be even worse as a person to get any attention… And i doubt that they would not be greedy enough to not take not any extra money from whoever is offereing it.

        I think it should be considere that they would litteraly influence others and i doubt it would be in a better way then it is currently.

        i think i would be fine with litteraly any other group of people instead, and also influencers are probably not included anyway tho

        (ofc there are probably some good influencers, but they are drowned out by all the others)

        edit: but like i think i still would rather have artists + influencers ubi then none

        • givesomefucks@lemmy.worldEnglish
          14·
          18 days ago

          but like i think i still would rather have artists + influencers ubi then none

          Right…

          But first you posted a comment about how pissed you were that another group were getting it and they shouldn’t.

          Even if you know you meant “everyone should get it”…

          You didn’t type that, you were manipulated instead into only saying a group you don’t like shouldn’t get it.

          No one reading your initial comment was/is capable of reading your mind. You did what the wealthy wanted, and may have influenced those who just read your first comment.