The president of University College Cork, Prof Gerry Wrixon, has questioned proposals to set up research institutes outside the university sector.
The proposals are part of the Government's £560 million Foresight initiative to improve the Republic's information technology and biotechnology research base.
The Cabinet is to discuss the proposals soon - possibly today - and agree to set up a foundation to allocate the £560 million. The question is whether the money will go to the universities or to new research institutes.
The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment is said to favour new institutes. Prof Wrixon said removing institutes - particularly in information and communication technologies - from a university sector held "out false promise and in fact could be quite limited". He was "perplexed by the notion being put about that industry would somehow find a research institution with links to a university limiting or inhibiting".
He said the National Microelectronic Research Centre (NMRC) which is UCC's information and communication technology centre, was a model which offered "the best of all worlds", because it was an "independent centre with close ties to the university". He was speaking as the publication of NMRC's annual report.
Speaking on RTE's Five-Seven Live radio programme last night, the Tanaiste, Ms Harney, said centres such as the NMRC were world-class leaders in their field and would continue to be supported. However, she said the new foundation would also have to be entitled to look at other options if they were required.