Micheál Martin was speaking during a visit to pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly in Kinsale today.
The number of Covid cases has increased in the past few weeks due to the most transmissible delta variant..
However the Taoiseach says the continued roll out of the vaccine programme should mean that indoor dining- including many pubs that have been closed since the start of the pandemic- will stay open.
Speaking to RedFM News, Taoiseach Micheál Martin is urging the public to keep their guard up:
"On this occasion, it's different because we had so many people vaccinated that we didn't have vaccinated because of last year. So that's a powerful weapon the fact as I say towards the 69%, fully vaccinated 83% forestalls, this is a new phase of the pandemic in every phase we have to respond differently, but we have to be agile, agile enough to respond, and people have to adhere to the guidance and adhere to the regulations that's essential."
