For a small country, Ireland punches well above its weight on the world stage in terms of our artistic success, with an outstanding number of Irish people reaching extraordinary pinnacles of global success in the musical, cinematic, theatrical, fashion and literary worlds.
Ireland has long offered tax breaks and other incentives to attract arts and entertainment projects from abroad here - but I believe we must give just as much if not greater support to our homegrown artists to allow them to work to their full potential. The Green Party agrees, and we oversaw record investment in the arts and culture over our time in government, including our world-leading Basic Income for the Arts scheme.
I’ve been immersed in Kilkenny’s arts community all my life and I’m committed to supporting the creativity in our region, including maintaining Kilkenny and Carlow’s position as national hubs for craft and good design. I’ve worked as a graphic designer, event organiser and as a musician (I put out an album last year) and I play an ongoing role in the cultural life of Kilkenny as a volunteer and board member of Barnstorm Theatre Company.
The creative industries bring huge economic value to Ireland, and enhance Ireland’s cultural imprint and reputation as a nation. However, I am also mindful of the concept of art for art’s sake – not every artistic output needs to be a profit-making enterprise to be of value and enriching on a personal and societal level.
The Green Party recognises the need for security and supports to be in place to retain the talent and experience of our artists and craftspeople – which is why we brought in the Basic Income for the Arts payment in 2022. The scheme was launched by my colleague Catherine Martin, as Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, and attracted over 9,000 applications, with 2,000 artists of every discipline selected to receive the payment over the duration of the three-year pilot. The success of the scheme is undergoing on-going evaluation, and the Green Party would like to see it extended to more artists to help address the financial instability faced by so many working in the arts here in Ireland.
The intermittent, and often project-based, nature of work in this sector can mean that artists and creative arts workers can experience financial instability and burnout, with knock on effects for their mental health and physical wellbeing. As well as recognition, at government level, of the important role of the arts in Irish society, this payment recognises the time and effort spent developing a creative practice and producing art.
Development of the Night-Time Economy in Ireland is also a priority for the Green Party. Further investment, including recruitment of new Night-Time Economy Advisors to support a more diverse and sustainable Night-Time Economy in the pilot towns, including Kilkenny, who will engage with businesses, venues and artists to implement plans and allow our creative communities to flourish.
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