Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has warned that tighter travel restrictions between Ireland and the UK may be need to stop the spread of the Delta variant here.
The Covid-19 Delta variant which was first identified in India has put huge concerns on plans to end lockdown in the UK due to its high level of transmission.
The UK has seen a surge in hospitalisations in recent weeks as the country races to vaccinate the rest of the population before the virus spreads further.
And concerns have been expressed about how the variant may affect Ireland's reopening plans.
On RTÉ's This Week, Simon Coveney spoke about the more infectious Delta variant of Covid-19 in the UK.
"The numbers are concerning and we need to do what we can within reason to do what we can to protect people here."
He said: "I don't want to announce anything today but we are looking at this seriously."
"Potentially longer quarantine periods particularly for people who aren't vaccinated," he added.
Mr Coveney said he spoke to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly yesterday, saying "we want to get the balance right to protect the Common Travel Area as best we can."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has signalled he might delay further easing of Covid restrictions as scientists warned daily cases could surge to 100,000 next month.
Although the Prime Minister would not be drawn on Monday's roadmap announcement, he said rising hospitalisations were “a matter of serious, serious concern”.
And he admitted he was less optimistic about lifting all restrictions on June 21 than he was in May.
This could mean pushing back plans to unlock fully into July.
Around 90% of new infections in the UK are now the Delta variant, with cases doubling every nine days.
