The Tánaiste says international travel at significant rates might not return by Christmas.
It comes as the government has extended level five restrictions until March 5th - with no guarantee they'll end then.
New laws are on the way to enforce mandatory quarantine for a limited number of people arriving into Ireland.
But opposition parties believe the government should go further and enforce mandatory quarantine for everyone arriving to Ireland.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar believes that approach would lead to years of travel restrictions for the country.
"We'd have to know that the vaccinations confer herd immunity, we'd have to get through another winter, another Christmas.
"Maybe it will come to that anyway, maybe it will be the case that International travel is not possible this summer and not possible this Christmas.
"I certainly don't want to close off that possibility today, but maybe we'll have to.
