The government is set to meet on Wednesday for crunch talks as a decision is made on the reopening of indoor dining.
All eyes are on cabinet ministers who will finalise plans to facilitate indoor hospitality.
The plan had been to originally reopen for indoor service on July 5 however the government pushed this back due to fears surrounding the Delta variant.
Representatives for pubs and restaurants are to meet with government officials Tuesday around 4.30pm to sign off on draft guidelines for reopening indoor hospitality.
It has been widely reported that indoor dining is set to reopen for those who are vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 in the last six months.
Minister Simon Harris has said the government has not received any new advice from NPHET that would suggest they should not proceed with the planned reopening of indoor hospitality.
Minister Harris said “we are following public health advice” when asked if indoor dining should reopen against the backdrop of a spike in Covid-19 cases.
However, CMO Dr Tony Holohan could give an update to the Coalition leaders before Wednesday's decision.
Senior sources have indicated government policy will unlikely change having passed the legislation through the Houses of Oireachtas to facilitate the resumption of indoor dining.
The emergency legislation to facilitate the reopening has yet to be signed into law by President Michael D Higgins.
The legislation passed through the Seanad on Friday.
Tanáiste Leo Varadkar has indicated that it will be next Monday, July 26, when pubs and restaurants can allow customers back inside again.
Speaking in Co Galway on Monday, Minister Simon Harris said the government is “taking a very prudent” approach to reopening but warned hospital admissions and Covid-19 cases will increase significantly in the coming days and weeks.
He said: “We are following public health advice in relation to the reopening agenda so the government hasn’t received any new advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) that would suggest we should do nothing other than proceed along the basis that we’re planning to do so.
“We are probably the last country, I think, in the European Union to reopen indoor hospitality and we’re probably opening it in the most conservative manner possible.
“In most European countries, anybody can dine indoors.
“In some European countries, some people can dine indoors if they have a negative antigen test.
“Here in Ireland, the requirement for the time being will be that you can only dine indoors if you’re fully vaccinated so I think we’re taking a very prudent, very cautious approach and indeed only a few weeks ago we were being criticised for taking that approach.”
