Crowds could be allowed back at matches and concerts by next summer.
The Tánaiste says 2021 will see the end of the Covid-19 pandemic, due to the rollout of vaccines and mass testing.
Leo Varadkar expects restrictions will move to Level 1 or 2 by next Easter, before life begins to return to normal.
And he hopes large gatherings will be able to go ahead by the summer: "I think we're talking about something like late March or early April, around Easter, and that doesn't mean things will be back to normal by then, we'll be more in the level one or level two space by then.
Gatherings
"If things work out with the summer, there's the possibility of returning to things like football matches and maybe even concerts and festivals and gatherings too.
"It's far from guaranteed, but that's the kind of timeline we're looking at."
He says things will still be difficult in the first quarter of 2021 when vaccinations are being rolled out, but life will be "starting to look a bit more normal again" in the second quarter.
