He also believes that holidays abroad will be able to return in "a number of months."

Minister for Transport and Climate Eamon Ryan has said that he doesn't believe there will be another lockdown after restrictions begin to ease next week. Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1’s Morning Ireland he said that the government doesn't want another lockdown, adding that he believes they have done "a remarkably good job" gradually managing cases over the past number of months. “We don’t want another lockdown and I don’t believe we will. I think we’ve done a remarkably good job in the last few months in the country with the gradual management of what was a very high incidence," he said. “We are working our way out, restrictions will be lifted next week. We will allow the people who have been vaccinated to be able to not have to do the mandatory hotel quarantine, that is coming and that will help." Minister Ryan said that he is hopeful international travel will be able to return in the next few months, however, he added that it is too soon to speculate on an exact timeline. “But, the exact date we have to hold back on. What I fear is if in these next few weeks, in this critical period, if we have another spike you don’t want to dash people's hopes again," he said. “So, let’s just take it step by step. We are on the way out of the worst of this lockdown system and we will have a way of managing Covid so there is international travel, people will be able to take holidays abroad, it is coming. "But, the exact timeline I don’t think we should raise false expectations yet, but it will be coming- within a number of months, I expect.”