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Comment by usrbinbash | Hacker News Reader

> Martin emphasized the importance of aiding artists in continuing their work. “The minister is conscious of the value that this sector brings to all Irish citizens,”

What about the work of health workers, delivery people, drivers, employees in supermarkets, cleaners, constructions workers, etc.?

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I think the point is you can gain employment as a:

  health workers, delivery people, drivers, employees in supermarkets, cleaners, constructions workers

But you can't really get employed or have a regular income as an artist (well you can but it's quite difficult).

I think a good comparison might be home carers or stay at home parents. Very hard to have a regular income from these also

So? The criteria I am talking about is "produces value for society" not "how easy to employ".

>What about the work of health workers, delivery people, drivers, employees in supermarkets, cleaners, constructions workers, etc.?

They're the ones paying taxes so that the government can then redistribute the money to unemployable artists.

>What about the work of health workers, delivery people, drivers, employees in supermarkets, cleaners, constructions workers, etc.?

They have salaries. The artists really didn't have a salary beyond the dole.

They probably do not have as strong a lobby.

Several of those groups have much stronger lobbies in Ireland than artists do, I would argue.

Live music and theatres in particular have been almost totally shut down here since March 2020. I'm struggling to think of any other sector that has been so badly hit during the pandemic.

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