The Arts Council of Ireland has indicated in its October newsletter that it is currently embarking on a restructuring program, aimed at enhancing the role of its professional staff in continuing to meet the new challenges that come with being Ireland's agency for developing the arts. This program, which is due to be completed by early 2004, will see the number of full-time staff increase by around 40% to around 46. At the same time, spending on staff will remain at under 5% of the Council's total budget. Council notes that its staff have played a key role in securing continuous Government support and funding for three successive Art Plans since 1995. The third Arts Plan (2002-2006), they comment, sets out a visionary agenda for how things will be in the future. To realise this vision, the Council, indicates that it needs to build on the significant skills, expertise and experience of its existing staff, and to introduce some new roles and ways of working. In line with this goal, the Council's work will be organised into three clearly defined and interdependent departments headed by a Director, each of whom will report to the Chief Executive of the Arts Council, Patricia Quinn. These departments are the Arts Development Department, the Arts Program Department and the Research and Information Department. Recruitment for each of these departments is currently under way.