The Arts Council to be appointed today is expected to contain 11 new members, with just two outgoing members reappointed and for half the usual term.
The Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr O'Donoghue, will this morning announce the new council, which has been reduced from 17 to 13 members.
It is believed the broadcaster and journalist Emer O'Kelly is one of the two to be reappointed. There was also some speculation that the theatre director Patrick Sutton may be the other reappointment, for a 2½-year term.
There was also speculation in the arts community that the businesswoman and publisher Ms Noelle Campbell-Sharp would be among the new members. Ms Campbell-Sharp is founder of the Cill Rialaig artists' retreat in Co Kerry and runs the Origin Gallery in Dublin.
However, none of these names could be confirmed last night. The only indication Mr O'Donoghue has given of his intentions was in an interview in this newspaper last month when he said he was more concerned with the quality of the contribution members could make to the entire arts sector rather than whether the council represented every geographical area, political viewpoint or branch of the arts.
"It's not going to be a kind of Arts Council which is in any way one-dimensional. It's not going to be blinkered. I'm not going to have an Arts Council which is representational of sectors," he said.
"I want to have an Arts Council where each individual feels that he or she can make a contribution to the overall interests of the sector."
The new council will consist of six men and six women, as well as a chairman or chairwoman. Rolling membership is being introduced, ensuring that half the council is replaced every 2½ years.
While council members will normally have five-year terms, six of those appointed today will have 2½-year terms to allow the introduction of the rolling membership system.
The two outgoing members reappointed are expected to be among these.
The new members face a changed funding environment after the council's budget was cut by 20 per cent at the beginning of this year. While the Arts Plan of last year had promised €53 million for the development of the sector in 2003, just €44 million was allocated.