The Programme for Government includes a commitment to ‘Request the Low Pay Commission to examine Universal Basic Income, informed by a review of previous international pilots, and resulting in a universal basic income pilot in the lifetime of the Government’. Earlier this year, I formally requested the Low Pay Commission to examine this issue.
In response to my request, the Low Pay Commission finalised terms of reference for background technical research on this issue. The Commission has asked ESRI to conduct this research, under the terms of the Low Pay Commission/ESRI Research Partnership Agreement.
The study will examine universal basic income pilots that have taken place in other countries to identify what was learnt and that could be relevant to a pilot in Ireland. It will also seek to identify what policy objectives a universal basic income pilot could address and its associated risks and fiscal implications.
It will conclude with recommendations on how a universal basic income pilot in Ireland could be designed.
The Low Pay Commission intends to provide a report to me on this research and their recommendations later this year.
I will then work with my officials to examine the Low Pay Commission’s findings and recommendations.
The idea of a universal basic income is that it is universal and not sectoral (e.g. for artists). The commitment in the Programme for Government will be informed by the recommendations made by the Low Pay Commission as well as the response to the €25 million basic income guarantee scheme for artists being piloted by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media in 2022, if results of this pilot scheme are available within the set timeframe. It is however being considered as a separate initiative.
