I thank the Deputy for raising this question and for his ongoing support for the basic income. In February, I announced that the Government had agreed to a successor scheme to the basic income for the arts pilot. Guidelines for the new scheme were published by my Department on 1 April. The applications portal opened on 15 April and will remain open until 12 May, which is an important date given the fact we are still in the middle of that application process.

The BIA will provide 2,000 artists with a weekly payment of €325 for a period of three years. The focus of the successor scheme is to support professional artists whose creative practice is based in Ireland. This is a major milestone for the arts in Ireland and I am particularly pleased that the research my Department conducted provided Government with a clear evidence base upon which to make that decision. The research clearly demonstrated both how precarious and difficult it is to be an artist and the positive benefits for society as a whole if we invest in it. The Department has seen strong demand so far with over 3,000 applications submitted. Over 8,200 eligible applications were received under the original pilot scheme. We expect that number to grow substantially before the end date.

My officials are providing assistance with making applications in a number of ways, including an email mailbox, an online video providing information on filling out the form and a telephone helpline. There has been a high volume of email queries, which are being triaged depending on the urgency of the matter. Our officials are also providing over-the-phone assistance for those who have specific accessibility needs and for queries that cannot be dealt with via email . A voicemail service to book these sessions has been in operation since the scheme opened with priority given to those with accessibility needs or who are vulnerable. Assessment for eligibility and the selection of successful applicants for the scheme will begin once applications close on 12 May. I expect payments to begin before the end of the year.

This is a groundbreaking support for the arts in Ireland and recognising the importance of supporting artistic practice and makes Ireland a world leader in how we support our artists and culture and will help to sustain the careers of those who receive it and retain their talent into the future. I encourage artists from every background and every corner of the country to apply for the scheme as is currently laid out.

I also encourage professional artists and graduates because it is not just professional artists who can apply. There is a number of positions available in this scheme for those who have just graduated.

The issue I had raised initially relating to the website has been addressed. Originally people could not find where to click unless they read the whole front page. That issue is addressed. However, there are other issues. People who have been leaving voicemails or who have been looking for help were not getting the help as quickly as they felt they should. If somebody is an artist and is busy and is trying to access the website or a person to talk to, there is frustration. That has already led to some people thinking they might not apply. I encourage them to apply. The main thing here is to make it as easy as possible for those artists who should be applying to apply.

I agree with the Deputy. If anyone who has experienced any difficulties and has contacted the Deputy, I encourage him to pass any specifics on to me. We want to try to make it work. It is in our interest that we get the maximum number of eligible applicants because we are only around the corner from the next round of negotiations on public expenditure for the next budget. The success or otherwise of this scheme will be demonstrated not just in relation to the output of the artists but also through the number of eligible applications we receive. The greater the number of eligible applicants we receive is a good thing as far as I am concerned. Whether I am able to give them a grant or not is kind of secondary. It will demonstrate very clearly to the Department of public expenditure and reform on my behalf that there is pent-up demand.

If there are IT problems the Deputy is aware of, I ask him to send them on to me. I also encourage anybody who has experienced difficulty to contact the Department directly or contact my office and we will endeavour to make sure that everybody gets a proper service. I am acutely aware there is a vulnerable cohort here as well who might not be as tech savvy as other people are who we do not want to be excluded.

The portal has been moved higher up on the page. Originally users had to scroll down several thousand words before they found the portal to click on. It is now in the first one or two paragraphs. When they click onto it the user is brought to a page that says "An Roinn Department Client Portal" and asks for an email and password to log in. It is only down at the end where it prompts if they do not have an account to create one account. The person will not have an account; that is the whole point. This is a one-off. For people who are not tech savvy, it can be scary. There are a lot of people who do not like filling out forms, whether they are on paper or online. When somebody gets to that page, it should state somewhere that this is the basic income portal and make the sign-up part larger, just for the next couple of weeks while we are waiting for applications.

That is very helpful and I will certainly relay that back to the team in the Department to see if we can adjust the home page to address the points the Deputy has made. I am not sure whether that is possible or not but we will certainly try. If there are people who have nothing better to do at 9.05 a.m. than listen to the Deputy and I having a chat in the Dáil and who have specific problems accessing the service, I encourage them to contact the Department. We do not want to leave people behind. I do not want a situation where people say they could not apply because the system would not allow them. That is no good to me, no more than it is no good to the artist. If there are specific issues the Deputy or any other Deputy in the House has encountered regarding the application process, they should let us know and we will endeavour to make sure everybody gets a fair crack at this.

The appeal is for artists to apply. They have until 12 May. The appeal from here if, as the Minister said, anybody is listening, is for people to make the application between now and 12 May. They will then have to wait. When exactly will the scheme start? The Minister has allocated, I think, €18 million. That amount suggests six months for this year and it will cost €33 million per year based on 2,000 people. Can the Minister indicate when the scheme will start? The last time it started, there was a-----

The Deputy is over time.

The screen indicates I have 11 seconds.

I ask the Deputy to bear with me. Our bona fides in this have been well established and we have had a very good engagement with the Opposition.

Once 12 May has passed, and once I have a full read-out of the number of applicants, which I will publish, I will come back to the Deputy.