Minister of State Ossian Smyth has said while there is no guarantee that international travel will reopen on 19 July, the plan remains that non-essential travel abroad can resume from that date.
There is an element of risk in travelling, he said, because the rules may change and a new variant could emerge at any time.
Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Claire Byrne, Mr Smyth said the plan is that non-essential travel can reopen next month. However, he warned, "we can't guarantee that at the moment, that's what is in the plan, but looking at what has been happening in the United Kingdom with the Delta variant and the fact that the British did have to delay their full reopening by a month, there is still risk attached and no guarantee can be given