The Government will announce new nationwide restrictions on Monday, Simon Harris has confirmed.
The Minister for Higher Education and former Minister for Health said that Level Three "hasn't worked" and that a county-by-county approach won't be appropriate in the current situation.
He explained that the new rules will be 'decisive' and will be introduced right across the country.
But he urged that the Government will need to balance restrictions with "our honest view on what people can bear or sustain”.
He told RTE's This Week in Politics: “The Government will act tomorrow. Action will be decisive and it will be right across the country."
Mr Harris added that the Government needed to consider other factors, including domestic violence, which has increased by a third in recent months.
His comments come after top Ministers, including Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, met with the National Public Health Emergency Team on Saturday after a recommendation that strict new measures be brought in.
Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan briefed Government about NPHET's reasons for the advise, which suggested introducing a Level Five lockdown for a period of six weeks.
It's the second time in two weeks that NPHET has made such a serious recommendation, with the last one being rejected by Government.
The Cabinet will meet on Monday to discuss the latest advice from health experts, where they will decide whether or not the country should move to Level Five.
It is not yet known if Mr Harris is referring to Level Five measures, or the slightly less-severe Level Four restrictions.
