Donegal campaigner backs basic income for artists scheme in Budget 2026

A local artist is campaigning for a permanent scheme to provide a basic income for artists to be included in the Budget.

Paul Murray from Letterkenny is the Donegal Coordinator for the National Campaign for the Arts. He is supporting the movement for the Minister for Arts, Culture, Communications, Media and Sport, Patrick O’Donovan, to make permanent a pilot scheme which has been supporting artists for the past three years.

The Basic Income for the Arts pilot scheme was introduced by Catherine Martin from the Green Party. Originally, the pilot scheme was set to conclude this month, however it has been extended until February 2026 by Minister O’Donovan. The National Campaign for the Arts Constituency Coordinators has launched a call on local TDs and councillors to back the campaign to retain, extend and expand the scheme in the next budget.

The 2,000 artists who were randomly chosen to take part in the pilot scheme received a fixed weekly income of €325 per week.

The results of the pilot scheme have been overwhelmingly positive, according to Paul.

“It basically covers people who are producing original material, whether that’s songwriting, writing work like poetry, artists, sculptors, performers, people who are producing and writing plays and actors,” says Paul. “It has more than reached its goal and its targets. The expectations for it were surpassed massively in how it’s changed people’s lives. 

“I’m a visual artist myself. The scheme is going to benefit me and my family. It would leave a level of stability to be able to afford things. That’s what the basic income is about - creating that basic level of stability to get a car loan, to know that your rent is going to be paid, that there’s less fluctuations in your income that you can plan things ahead. 

“We’re talking about people who are either in poverty or slightly above it. The vast majority would be basically in poverty.”

Paul is now urging others to get in touch with local TDs to help get the Basic Income for the Arts campaign over the line for Budget 2026.

“If this is lost now, it’s going to be lost for another generation - that’s the fear,” he says. “For the arts, this would be our Marriage Referendum - that’s the level of importance and recognition it is for people who work in the arts. The arts is extremely underfunded for one, compared to anything else in society.

“There is also the recognition that you’re an actual valued member of society, your job actually counts. People don’t see the arts as a career, it’s very much deemed as a hobby.”

A permanent scheme would set out a criteria and any artist who meets the criteria would benefit, as opposed to the random lottery system of the pilot scheme. A fixed basic income figure would also be determined.

“We have to target the people who are going to be in the room making the decisions,” says Paul.

“The artists I know work extremely hard. I would say 80 per cent of my time isn’t painting. I’m a painter - but I spend countless hours writing proposals for exhibitions or grant applications and because the funding is so tight in the arts, the competition is so high. I might put in 20 or 30 funding applications and I’d be lucky if I got one or two. It’s an extremely low hit rate.”

From the pilot scheme, some artists used BIA support to engage with their local communities to form new partnerships and collectives, addressing previously unmet needs in their areas. BIA community engagement includes sourcing local crew, hosting reading groups, organising fundraising events, creating collectives for artists with minority identities, and participation in State-funded events such as Heritage Week and Culture Night.

“Everyone felt so lucky to get onto the pilot scheme, everyone wanted to give back to the community in some shape or form, such as writing or art or performance classes.

“Things like local festivals don’t just happen. People don’t just roll up with paintings or songs. There is a level of craft to it and you have to put in the hours to get to a certain level. There’s hours and hours of practice that goes into it.”

READ NEXT: Donegal woman raises over €6,000 for HUGG from Donegal Half Marathon

​​The National Campaign for the Arts (NCFA) is a volunteer-led, grassroots movement that makes the case for the arts in Ireland. They work to ensure that the arts are on local and national government agendas and are recognised as a vital part of contemporary Irish life.

To find out more, email info@paulmurrayartist.com, visit the NCFAie Facebook page and Instagram on @campaign4arts