Taoiseach Micheál Martin says there will be no big pro boxing events in Dublin "any time soon".
Hopes that Katie Taylor can come home to fight after all 18 of her pro bouts have taken place outside of Ireland are fading due to the security fears around the sport in the capital.
There have been no major pro boxing promotions in the city since the Regency Hotel shooting incident of five years ago during a weigh-in.
"I think the whole world of professional boxing is in difficulty," said the Taoiseach. "I worry about it.
"I've great time for amateur boxing, I'm not as enthusiastic for professional boxing any more.
"I don't believe we can see it any time soon, from what I am hearing," he said.
"It's very challenging for the athlete because they want to be the very best at their sport, but it's not a comfortable environment in some areas, no doubt about that.
"I can't see it and if that's what the Gardaí and others are saying, well that's it, we've seen what's happened here already at some events and it's not good.
"That may change but it's very problematic at the moment.
"There have to be very clean interests involved in these fights, it has to be above board, there can be no issues around and for the sake of the athletes as well.
"For the safety of fans and everyone else, it's not on at the moment."
The Fianna Fail leader expressed the ambition that there will Test sporting events featuring crowds in July, with big rugby, football and GAA events expected to feature in the trial occasions.
But he gave no indication as to when indoor sport can return, describing the next few months as an "outdoor summer" in an interview with Off The Ball.
He also said that his instinct would be to act to keep the Six Nations as a free to air sporting event, but he conceded it may be too late to ensure that with TV rights to be sorted out in the near future.
"I don't like the erosion of this, even within the GAA, I don't like to see it," the Taoiseach said. "All the organisations want to allow it because of funding."
Criticising the GAA's Sky Sports deal, Mr Martin commented: "I'm not a fan of it, no, I never have been.
"I'm a believer in the punter on the ground being able to see this on their terrestrial channels.
"There are certain things that we should hold dear, for example what TG4 have done.
"It will hit senior citizens and certain classes of people."
"I haven't spoke to the Ministers (Catherine Martin and Jack Chambers) yet, I think Covid has dominated our lives.
"My instincts are to protect those that are fundamental, the Six Nations is something we watched as children, whether we had a rugby background or not.
"There are challenges to that but there are certain events that are iconic, that we should protect for Sean Citizen."
