The Minister for Education has said the State's universities must urgently agree on a protocol in an effort to avoid an international perception that Irish universities are not co-operating with each other.
Following a meeting yesterday with the president of UCD, Dr Hugh Brady, Mary Hanafin said a protocol drawn up by the Irish Universities Association (IUA) should be given priority attention so as to "allay the fears" some international universities may have.
She said it was not in "Irish interests to have a perception that universities are not working together".
Yesterday's meeting followed reports that Dr Brady had been reluctant to sign a protocol that prohibits the "poaching" of key staff. Both the Taoiseach and Ms Hanafin had voiced concerns about what they perceived as UCD's policy of seeking to attract key staff from other universities.
Ms Hanafin said she had indicated to Dr Brady the importance of collaboration between third-level institutions so that the €1 billion investment by Government in research and development is best utilised.
"I don't want anything to jeopardise that funding or the way it is spent," she said. Ms Hanafin added that she had been assured by Dr Brady that an agreement on the protocol would be reached soon.
The protocol, drawn up on behalf of the seven university presidents, allows open recruitment of staff but specifically prohibits the poaching of key personnel.
Following yesterday's meeting, Dr Brady said the issue of having a protocol had never arisen until the State's universities began to achieve greater success in research and development and began the drive to become international leaders in education.
He said there had been some concerns about the details of the draft protocol but that UCD was working with the Irish Universities Association on what he described as a "relatively small issue". Dr Brady said that the protocol should be agreed "relatively soon".
Yesterday's meeting followed the announcement of a new diabetes research centre at UCD and the opening of the Wyeth Research Ireland laboratory.