THE Republic's stringent Covid-19 restrictions could remain in place for the first half of the year, the Taoiseach has said.
Micheál Martin also noted delays in the supply of AstraZeneca vaccine in the EU could potentially impact on rollout of the programme to the over-70s.
Schools are not expected to be fully open to all pupils before St Patrick's day, with special schools expected to open next month and a phased return for other students.
In an interview with RTÉ Radio 1, Mr Martin confirmed the Cabinet would be considering restrictions to foreign travel following heightened concerns about the new UK variant of the virus.
It is also expected that increased Garda checks at Dublin airport will also be introduced to enforce the ban on non-essential travel.
Mr Martin said the number of new daily cases of Covid-19 needs to fall into the hundreds, and possibly as low as 100-200, before restrictions can be relaxed.
And he warned the government needs to adopt a “cautious and conservative” approach to managing the disease, warning the restrictions will be more prolonged than any to date.
"I’m thinking of the variant. That’s what my concern is. It will become the dominant variant here. It is at 62% of all cases. It transmits more easily," he said.
“If we have mass mobilisation and mass socialisation, it will spread again.
“I think with the vaccines coming, there’s an argument to be cautious and conservative now for the first half of this year, until we roll out the vaccines.
“We will be witnessing far more prolonged restrictions than we have to date.
“I’m the Taoiseach, but I have to consult with my colleagues and ministers, and we’ll consult with the opposition as well, but that is my sense of it until we get control.”
He added the restrictions will be reviewed every four weeks.
The Irish government's Cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 is due to meet today to discuss the extension of the current restrictions.
A final decision will be made on Tuesday following a Cabinet meeting.
The Taoiseach told RTE’s Brendan O’Connor he is “very worried” about the UK variant, and he had called UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson to discuss the latest research which suggests it may be more deadly than the original virus.
Mr Johnson revealed on Friday that the new variant could increase the mortality rate in some groups by between 30 percent and 40 percent.
Mr Martin said: “I just asked him, what’s his sense of it in terms of the research. He said: ‘They are going to do more research on that.’
“He’s worried about the variant.
“‘There’s something going on out there,’ is what a lay person would say.”
Meanwhile, the Republic's Chief medical officer Dr Tony Holohan said they were beginning to flatten the curve thanks to people adhering to public health measures.
He urged people to all behave as though they are infectious and minimise close contacts with others given it is possible to have the virus without displaying symptoms.
Dr Holohan stressed that if you do have symptoms it was important to self-isolate immediately.
“If you suspect that you might be ill, isolate away from others in your household, let your close contacts know and come forward for testing as soon as possible,” he added.
