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New social welfare scheme promises 'breathing space' for unemployed artists

Unemployed artists will be able to receive jobseekers allowance while also focusing on their own work for 12 months.

SELF-EMPLOYED ARTISTS have been promised “breathing space” as part of a new scheme that will allow unemployed creatives to focus on their own work for 12 months rather than taking part in normal jobseeker activities. 

The scheme, an extension of a pilot scheme announced in June 2017, is intended to allow artists to develop their portfolios and skills during their first year of unemployment while also receiving Jobseekers Allowance. 

The scheme was announced today by Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, and the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Josepha Madigan. 

The scheme will begin in September. “In Ireland, we hold a very special place for the arts and I hope that through this initiative some we can create some breathing space for creative people to flourish,” Doherty said in a statement. 

Over 100 artists and writers have taken part in the original scheme, which extended jobseekers allowance to visual artists and writers and saw them classified as self-employed for the first time.

The new scheme will extend these benefits to other artists. 

Trade union Siptu has welcomed the news. “This is a positive step forward on the path to recognition of the professional status and value of performing artists in Ireland,” said Siptu’s arts and culture sector organiser Karen O’Loughlin.

“However, we also need a broader discussion about the working lives of artists and their capacity to have longevity and dignity in their careers. The way to truly value artists is to ensure they can make a secure living from their work and that means the development of a basic income scheme for them,” she said. 

The Musicians Union of Ireland (MUI) called the decision a “significant breakthrough” for musicians. 

“We have to continue to fight to have our artists valued in a meaningful way,” Graham Macken, an MUI organiser, said in a statement. 

The Department of Culture, Heritage and Gaeltacht will now work with the Arts Council and other organisations to develop a validation process for professional accreditation. 

Artists “deserve our full support particularly given the significant income challenges they can face”, said Madigan. 

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    Mute David Higgins
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    Oct 9th 2011, 9:32 AM

    Disobey the rules, don’t except our sympathy when the consequences arrive!

    67
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    Mute Mack O'Connell
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    Oct 9th 2011, 9:47 AM

    The Nazis were just following the "rules" also.

    74
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    Mute James Quirke
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    Oct 9th 2011, 9:55 AM

    ever heard of a thing called civil disobedience at all?

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    Mute Ronald
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    Oct 9th 2011, 12:40 PM

    You say ‘civil disobedience’ as if it was the equivalent to peaceful protesting!

    Jeeez, some people seem to think that their self-righteousness justifies breaking the law!

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    Mute Conor Murphy
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    Oct 9th 2011, 1:04 PM

    If I was working as a security guard for A MUSEUM and some self righteous twit held down my co-worker I’d get them off pretty sharply too.

    Now not saying that’s definitely what happened but they have no right to physically restrain a working member of the public.

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Oct 9th 2011, 10:10 AM

    They called medics caused they were peppered sprayed. Should be done for wasting their time.

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    Mute Noel Peare
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    Oct 9th 2011, 11:31 AM

    Have you ever seen the results of pepper spray? I worked in a nightclub where a girl was pepper sprayed. She was in agony afterwards. I found it hard to stay near her as the residue on her face was enough to cause my eyes and face to have the same symptoms. She was taken away by ambulance & I assure you it was necessary.

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    Mute Cormac Flanagan
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    Oct 9th 2011, 12:53 PM

    While never been pepper sprayed myself I have seen the effects of those who have numerous times(actually more than numerous) and ALL just had to wash out there eyes with water.

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    Mute joseph mcgee
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    Oct 10th 2011, 12:58 AM

    more than numerous? how many is more than numerous? is it, loike, a lot?
    do tell flanagan, how and where did u see the effects of those who’ve been pepper sprayed
    numerous times. sorry i mean more than numerous times
    CSI or some other show?

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    Mute steve white
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    Oct 9th 2011, 9:54 AM

    Conservative Spectator Magazine Brags of its Agent Provacateur’s Role in Provoking Attack on DC Museum http://t.co/Gsm8wqTK

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    Mute Niall Carson
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    Oct 9th 2011, 10:56 AM

    Sounds pretty damming

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    Mute Ronald
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    Oct 9th 2011, 12:43 PM

    They rushed and held down a security guard… A normal Average Joe doing his job… Not an SS Officer!

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    Mute willy pearse
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    Oct 9th 2011, 11:43 AM

    Heil Obama!

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    Mute Oscar Brophy
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    Oct 9th 2011, 12:11 PM

    bloddy yanks

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    Mute Pete Gibson
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    Oct 9th 2011, 12:09 PM

    Amazing how they don’t object to war aircraft which carry a living pilot!
    They seem to have a superstitious fear of automation.

    Drones are just the start of the automation.
    Google Earth can tell me the difference in latitude and longitude between the front and the back of my car parked in my driveway.
    Within 20 years piloted warplanes will look as antiquated as the Wright Brothers plane in Kitty Hawk in 1903.

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    Mute Saffron Marriott
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    Oct 9th 2011, 11:26 AM

    I got chili in my eyes making a curry recently and it was truly awful – poor people

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