Paschal Donohoe has warned that Ireland needs to "look beyond Christmas itself" amid calls for the Government to open the country back up for the festive period.
In a blow to those hoping that Ireland can get down to Level Two in December – meaning pubs and restaurants could reopen in a meaningful way – the Finance Minister said Ireland needs to think about its "medium-term goal" when it comes to the spread of the virus.
The Fine Gael TD said Ireland "is making progress in beating this disease", but admitted: "We're just not in as good a place as we would hope to be."
"I think we do need to look beyond Christmas itself, and be aware that the medium-term goal in advance of a vaccine being broadly available is to get the spread of the disease down to the lowest level possible," he told RTE's Morning Ireland.
Mr Donohoe's comments come ahead of a Government announcement next week that will detail Ireland's strategy for exiting Level Five restrictions.
Already, lobby groups for pubs and retailers are warning that businesses around the country are facing serious problems unless public health measures are lessened considerably.
The Minister argued: "From an economic point of view, if you talk to somebody who's running a business, someone who's running a restaurant and thinking of reopening it, they do want certainty from beyond the 25th of December.
He acknowledged the "logic" of retailers who are arguing that shopping can be done in a safe manner with social distancing guidelines in place.
But he insisted that "there is a greater collective decision that we need to make.
"There is a broader case, which is the wellbeing and the health of our country, and what is the right thing for our economy beyond Christmas in the weeks and months of 2021, as we await our medical technology to make a big difference to this."
