Minister for Higher and Further Education Simon Harris has said the opening of colleges is not contingent on the success of the UniCov scheme, which is a pilot antigen testing programme.
Speaking to RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Harris said the trial scheme will involve 8,000 staff and students taking part in rapid testing over the summer months.
It will involve two types of test - serial and random. Mr Harris said it could act as an early robust warning system for Covid-19 as campuses reopen, and the scheme will allow experts made informed decisions about the future of rapid tests.
The scheme began earlier this week across four universities - NUI Galway, Trinity College Dublin, University College Dublin, and University College Cork.