The Tánaiste says a "corona pass" could mean avoiding another lockdown if there’s a fourth wave of Covid-19.
Leo Varadkar will meet with representatives from the hospitality industry later, over growing anger about keeping indoor dining closed until at least the 19th of July.
The sector is also annoyed about proposals to only allow vaccinated people to dine indoors when it does resume.
He said: "We can use those three weeks to develop plans for a corona pass, which let’s not forget may pave the way for the reopening of not just indoor hospitality but indoor sports and live events [as well] even if there is a Delta wave.
"That’s one of the things that maybe isn’t fully understood about the decision and advice from yesterday. Option one is to not reopen indoors until we have herd immunity - and who really knows when that will be. We’d hope it would be September, but maybe not.
"Now we have this option to use a corona pass… and potentially never having to lock down again."
