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The taoiseach (Irish prime minister) said he believes Ireland will move to the next phase of its Covid-19 relaxation measures on Monday.

This includes reopening small retail outlets where social distancing is possible and an increase in travel restrictions to 20 kilometres.

Leo Varadkar said he was concerned by some calls to accelerate the five-stage relaxation plan.

Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin has questioned the pace of relaxation.

Speaking in the Dáil (lower house of parliament), Mr Martin said there was a divide in messaging where people were being told Ireland was doing well but cannot yet reopen in the way that much of Europe is.

"We are currently in the absurd position where it is easier for an Irish person to plan a holiday in much of Europe than it is to plan one here," he said.

Mr Varadkar said he believed it was better to adopt a "slow and steady approach" but one that can be accelerated only when it is safe to do so.

He said he hoped Ireland could adopt air bridges with other countries which had a similar low infection rate which would allow for a lifting of the 14 day travel quarantine restrictions.

But he added such a move was weeks away.

While it was too soon to book a holiday, he said "summer is not yet lost".

Later on Thursday, the Irish Health Minister Simon Harris said there had been a slight increase in the R number over the last seven days.

R is the number that a Covid-19 positive patient further infects.

Last week the number was between 0.4 and 0.6, this week it is between 0.4 and 0.7.

Mr Harris said the government needed to be "cautious and clear-sighted" in its approach to the virus which "is still with us".

He told the Dáil the virus is at the same levels as the middle of March when emergency measures were first taken.

Mr Varadkar, who is the son of an Indian father, also condemned racism in comments made about the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

"We have witnessed the absence of moral leadership or words of comforting or understanding or healing from whence they should have come," he told the house in remarks that will be seen as critical of US President Donald Trump.

He said there were many examples of racism "in our own country".

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she agreed with Mr Varadkar that racism was a virus but said more could be done to fight it in Ireland.

She criticised the treatment of Travellers and the direct provision system where those seeking asylum in Ireland have to live in centres before their cases are heard.