Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has stated that foreign travel and holidays will resume "later in the summer".
During an interview with Newstalk, the Green Party leader said that more information on a definitive timeline for the return of international travel will be released during Friday's address to the nation.
When asked for a specific date when travel is likely to resume, Mr Ryan said: "What I've been saying for the last two months is that I expect it later in the summer.
"The exact dates [will be] in July or early August or some such time and the benefit of that is it gives us time to see about the variants, what will happen in the UK, what will happen with our own numbers and what will happen with the vaccine programme.
"I expect Government to give an indication of those timelines at the end of next week and that will help the aviation industry because people will start planning.
"What we committed to as a Government before the end of May was setting out a strategy for international travel, just as we need to start planning for the return to colleges and offices.
"International travel is important, we need it for direct investment in our country, people haven't seen family in years, when it's safe, and only when it's safe, to see it coming back."
EU officials are planning to formally launch the Digital Green Cert later this month, which will allow for easier movement between member states.
The Taoiseach has confirmed that Ireland will be part of the scheme, with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar predicting that August could be the earliest before international travel resumes.
Mr Ryan said he would like to see the certificate system "expedited quickly", provided it's done in a safe manner.
"I think [travel] will become a lot safer when the level of vaccination by the end of June is at levels that give us real protection, and at the rate the vaccination rollout is happening, that's going to happen sooner," he said.
"By the end of June, the EU will have set up its digital certificate system for vaccination, so if someone is vaccinated we'll have an easy to use way of ascertaining that, and that makes travel much more safe."
Speaking with the Irish Mirror, CEO of the Irish Travel Agents Association, Pat Dawson, said that August isn't exactly a popular month with travel agents around Ireland and that they're not earmarking it as a return date.
"Not really. Not really and I'll tell you why. Obviously, we want everything to open safely but we can't risk August because the fact is that you'll remember last year, we had to deal with refunds and cancellations.
"The last two weeks in August is maybe 50/50 at best, there could be a decent operation in place but we don't know.
"What we're saying to people - although there's many that booked September, October, November - and what most people are telling us is, 'okay, look, I'm really not going to risk it, it's going to be 2022.'
"It's an individual decision but the vast majority of travel agents around the country are selling from September onwards and we are scared to sell August because of the clients getting into trouble with their money.
"Our job is to find the clients money, that's our responsibility and that's why they book with a travel agent, to take care of them.
"So we're looking at September and of course, then you have another issue with Cork airport, which is crazy. They're closing down for September, October, November, to do up a runway which should have been dealt with before now.
"The most pent-up demand will be September, October, and even November, so the whole thing is very disappointing to be truthful."
