Leo Varadkar has expressed fresh caution over the reopening of pubs on July 5.
He said that the Delta variant is the “dark cloud on the horizon” at the moment.
Mr Varadkar said that “the final call” can’t be made until they get the latest advice next week.
The Tánaiste was at an Enterprise Ireland results announcement on Wednesday morning.
His words of warning were consistent with worries coming from other ministers speaking on Wednesday morning and early afternoon.
They included Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe, who said the July 5th reopening is “dependent” on the evolving Covid situation.
And Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, who said we are now “surrounded” by the “more contagious and more severe” Delta variant.
Mr Varadkar said: “As things stand, the plan is still to ease restrictions on the fifth of July.
“But as is always the case, that final call, that decision won’t be made until a few days before.
“We’ll take into account four factors.
“One, is the number of cases, which is falling, that’s encouraging.
“Another is the hospitals, hospital numbers are going down, which is encouraging.
“Third is the vaccine programme, which is going very well, but we’d like to see those second doses given to people earlier, those people given the AstraZeneca vaccine.
“And fourth is concern around variants and that is the dark cloud on the horizon at the moment.”
