The new Irish Academy of the Performing Arts may be developed at a site other than the Dublin City University campus in Glasnevin.
The chairwoman of IAPA's interim governing body, Ms Carmel Naughton, said yesterday that she thought it would be difficult for IAPA to maintain its independence if it was sited on the university campus.
She also said that she had earlier been assured that the board appointed by the Minister for Education, Dr Woods, would be announced at Farmleigh on February 25th.
However, she considered it "strange" that she had received no formal notification of the event. She also said that the proposed board members were "busy people" and would need advance notice of such an event.
The Department of Education's press office could not confirm the date to The Irish Times.
DCU has been considered the probable site for IAPA since 1999. In that year, a report commissioned from Deloitte and Touche recommended the site, which was offered by DCU's then president, Dr Danny O'Hare.
DCU was also known to be favoured by the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern. He agreed with the Ministers of Arts and Education that another independent assessment be undertaken.
The subsequent report by Mr Peter Renshaw of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama also recommended the DCU site.
Buildings currently occupied by UCD beside the National Concert Hall at Earlsfort Terrace had been considered the most suitable site when the plan was first hatched by Dr John O'Conor, of the Royal Irish Academy of Music.
Dr O'Conor withdrew from the project after the Renshaw report because he felt that the academy would become no more than a junior school preparing students for the academy.
The RIAM's withdrawal dealt a public blow to the idea of IAPA. However, in 1999 it was announced that approval would be sought by the Minister for the Arts, Ms de Valera, for £35 million to be spent on the development of IAPA, along the lines laid out by Renshaw.
This suggested that the Gaiety School of Acting would form the basis of the drama department and that the University of Limerick's music department and the Institute of Choreography and Dance at Firkin Crane, Cork, would form "nodes" of the academy.
This is still the proposed model for the new academy, but its many opponents say it will mean there will be little chance for performers to become multi-skilled.
There is also disquiet that Renshaw's report has been adopted so unquestioningly, as it contained basic errors. For instance, it described the Gaiety School of Acting as "Ireland's premier drama school" although it only offers a diploma in acting, while TCD offers a degree.
The Gaiety School of Acting's director, Mr Patrick Sutton, is a member of the Arts Council and works with the Taoiseach on a regular basis on the presentation of his public image.