The Irish Refugee Council says it is "horrified" at a call by Mr Michael Noonan for compulsory health screening of asylum-seekers.
A senior Irish Medical Organisation figure also criticised the Fine Gael leader's proposal, saying there was no evidence that compulsory screening was required at present.
Mr Noonan told RTÉ's Today with Pat Kenny radio show yesterday that he supported compulsory screening, but expressed doubts that it would be "constitutionally possible".
Mr James Stapleton of the Irish Refugee Council said he could not understand how Mr Noonan planned to make such a policy compulsory. "Is he talking about forcing asylum-seekers into doctors' practices, or imposing sanctions on them if they refuse to comply?"
Mr Stapleton said that the uptake for voluntary health screening among asylum-seekers had risen significantly over the past few years. This had been achieved through persuasion, not compulsion, he said.
Dr Cormac MacNamara, a former president of the IMO, said compulsion was "a policy of last resort". "Doctors find the concept of compulsion counter-productive. It breeds resistance and evasion."
He said doctors needed more resources to deal with the particular health needs of asylum-seekers but a first step would be to promote voluntary screening more aggressively.
Compulsory screening has been mooted at EU level and five EU states already operate the policy. About 70 per cent of asylum-seekers in the Dublin area and in the south opted for health screening last year, according to official figures.
In his interview, Mr Noonan also said asylum-seekers should be given the right to work while waiting for a decision on their application.
Meanwhile, in an interview to be broadcast today on TV3, the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, says that Fianna Fáil would get 90 Dáil seats and single-party rule on the basis of current polls if the general election were held now.
The Progressive Democrat leader tells the channel's Ireland AM morning show, "If there was an election tomorrow, Fianna Fail would win 90 seats. With 49 per cent of the vote, they are up 10 per cent on the last election.
"There is no doubt but that that would deliver them the extra seats to be in government on their own. Yet only a quarter of the voters want to see them there on their own.
"It is quite ironic that one in four want FF there on their own but half of the people are going to vote for them," said Ms Harney, in remarks which may worry Fianna Fáil strategists as they seek to protect the party's lead.