Universal Basic Income (Pennies from Heaven)

The concept of ‘basic income’ has been discussed internationally as potentially revolutionizing the way that society works. The idea is that every citizen, regardless of circumstance, would receive a set salary from the state. Any employment or paid work would be in addition to that. The argument is that this would provide greater security for the young, for the self-employed and entrepreneurs as well as reshaping the social welfare system in its entirety to be more benevolent at no additional cost. In this work, author and academic Dr Paul O’Brien explains how this very real proposal might work in an Irish context – and how these arguments are forming the basis of what might redefine the way Ireland works.