Micheal Martin has warned the Christmas relaxing of restrictions could end earlier than January 6th.
A special Cabinet meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday December 29th to reassess the situation, the Taoiseach revealed on Virgin Media's Tonight Show last night.
Worsening Covid-19 rates across Europe has led the Taoiseach to say he's "keeping an eye" on the date.
Intercounty travel reopens this Friday and there are fears that it could lead to a huge spike in Covid-19 cases – especially when the numbers of loved ones travelling home from regions abroad where rates are skyrocketing again is factored in.
This was supposed to last through to January 6th.
But it now appears that an earlier return to a higher level of lockdown could be on the cards.
Elsewhere, Mr Martin said that he was optimistic that some level of normality will return to daily life in Ireland following the Covid-plagued year the country has endured.
Pressed by host Ciara Kelly on the "$64 million question" of when people can expect a return to normality, the Fianna Fail leader said he optimistic that normality will return next year.
"I think this is going to happen gradually. I think towards the latter half of 2021, things will be coming back closer to normality. I think over time and I do certainly see that," said Martin.
He added: "I'm being cautious in what I'm saying, vaccine production could ramp up and we might get the vaccines earlier in large volumes.
"Other vaccines will come on stream, so I think we'll be in a much, much better place than we've been in all of this year. Of that I'm certain.
"Even if you start thinking when we get all the nursing homes and frontline workers vaccinated, even that alone in January and February will make life much easier for us."
