19/09/2025
NCFA Statement for Culture Night - Strike at Six
The Arts in Ireland generate over €1.5 billion for the economy every year. We see the impact and profits of our excellence in film, literature, music, visual art, architecture, dance, and theatre echoed across the biggest stages in the world - celebrated, in turn, by the most recognised and prestigious awards. This quality does not grow in a vacuum. There is a critical need to invest in and support the entire creative ecosystem, if we are to continue to enjoy the direct and indirect benefits of our international reputation.
As the cost of living and housing crises rapidly reshape the ecosystem, many artists are being forced to choose between their work, and the ability to afford rent and food. Recent statistics show that 53% of artists in Ireland - regardless of art form - live in enforced deprivation, compared to 17% of the general population.
We are asking the Government to commit 0.1% of its total budget in 2026 to the Arts, bringing Ireland closer to the European average. We also call on the Government to retain, extend, and expand the Basic Income for the Arts scheme, and to roll it out on a statutory basis to accommodate at least 8,000 artists. We call for equitable access to the scheme for those receiving state support such as Disability Allowance, Carer’s Allowance, and pensions. The continuation of the scheme has significant and widespread support, with 97% of the population - including the general public - in favour of its retention.
We all rely on the sustenance that only Art can provide in moments of crisis or celebration - be it private grief, community celebration, or the daily substance of our imaginative lives. Without urgent intervention and direct financial investment by the government, we will witness our cultural fabric diminish and disintegrate.
We are proud of our small nation’s cultural reputation. This budget can go down in history as one that meaningfully outlines and safeguards a roadmap for the Irish arts sector for the next decade and beyond.
Value Culture. Value Artists.