The Tanaiste has said it's important to avoid a second lockdown as the country deals with a second wave of Covid-19.
Leo Varadkar said Ireland is coping well with this second wave but that we need to keep morbidity down and keep the country open.
The Fine Gael leader said the pandemic is still 'raging' but that there "is a level where we can live with the virus".
Speaking at the Dublin Economic Workshop, the Tanaiste said: "This is a virus that isn't going away, the pandemic is still raging.
"Europe is seeing a second wave at the moment, one that is different from the first but a second wave nonetheless.
"We don't if it's going to turn out as bad as the first in terms of mortality, morbidity, that remains to be seen or whether it will be much more moderate than the wave we saw in the Spring.
"I think it is very possible we will see multiple waves of the virus.
"We've to make sure our second wave of cases doesn't turn into a second wave of deaths, second wave of morbidity and to avoid if possible a second lockdown."
The Tanaiste also said that he is 'confident' the world will soon have a vaccine although he doesn't expect it to be rolled out until the first half of 2021.
