Cabinet Ministers will meet today to draw up a draft plan of the pathway ahead of the summer months.
The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) will deliberate on Wednesday and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan will write to Health Minister Stephen Donnelly after its meeting with their recommendations on what restrictions can be eased, in their view.
They will also provide a detailed update on the epidemiology of Covid-19.
Later on Wednesday, the Cabinet Covid-19 sub-committee will meet where Ministers are expected to get an update again from Dr Tony Holohan and also HSE health chiefs.
On Thursday, a special Cabinet meeting will take place to sign off on its plan before Taoiseach Micheál Martin addresses the nation.
A government source told the Irish Mirror last night that the final decision on the reopening of retail will boil down to NPHET’s advice to the government.
However, it’s expected click and collect will return on May 4 and “outdoor shopping” at garden centres may return on May 13.
And the government source said thousands of workers can expect to go back to work at non-essential retail by May 20 - if not sooner.
Another area being explored is shopping by appointment prior to the full reopening of clothes shops.
Hairdressing, barbers and other personal services will also be given an opening date - with one source indicating on or before May 17, but the source said “there is a big push to get them all open sooner.”
However, the source added: “The stubborn Covid case numbers around 400 to 450 will give NPHET ammunition to be more cautious.
“It was always felt that if cases got to 300 and stayed around there then Dr Tony could have pushed back on reopening quicker.”
An announcement on the numbers permitted to religious services is also expected on Thursday while more workers in the construction industry will get back to work.
It’s understood additional freedoms for those fully vaccinated are also being considered.
However, it is all set to happen in a “phased” and “careful step by step” approach.
Hotels, guesthouses and B&Bs are set to get the go-ahead to reopen after the June Bank Holiday with the lifting of the ban on inter-county travel likely to coincide with their reopening.
The government will also be under pressure to allow outdoor dining after hundreds of people gathered across the country in the good weather.
A government source indicated outdoor dining may be permitted early in June but some Ministers are “pushing to squeeze it in at the end of May.”
Restaurateurs have expressed their frustration that although they can’t provide outdoor dining services, people are using their outdoor facilities to eat food purchased from takeaway joints.
Fianna Fail Minister of State, Thomas Byrne said these issues “are undoubtedly the considerations that the government will be thinking about this week.”
Mr Byrne was reacting to the crowds that flocked to beauty spots around the country over the weekend.
Speaking to Newstalk, he said he hasn't got it in him to "condemn anyone for breaking rules" as "we're all watching to make sure we don't break any rules ourselves.”
He said: "But clearly there is an issue when there's good weather, people will gather, that's natural, that's happening at the moment.
“And I think there will be arguments for that to be happening in a more formal setting, it's going to be in informal settings no matter what happens.”
Speaking to RTÉ’s Drivetime, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue said the government is conscious that sectors such as hospitality need time to prepare prior to reopening.
He said they will be “given as much notice as we can” but said “we have to take it step by step and can’t get ahead of ourselves.”
Meanwhile, the European Commission has launched legal action against AstraZeneca for allegedly not respecting its contract for the supply of Covid-19 vaccines and for not having a "reliable" plan to ensure timely deliveries.
It comes after the pharma giant delivered 36,000 less jabs to Ireland last week and has pushed out a delivery of 165,000 doses which were to be delivered on April 30 to May 3.
EU spokesman Stefan De Keersmaecker said the legal action was launched "on behalf of the 27 member states that are fully aligned in their support of this procedure".”
He said: “The commission has started last Friday a legal action against the company AstraZeneca on the basis of breaches of the advanced purchase agreement.
“What matters to us in this case is that we want to make sure that there's a speedy delivery of a sufficient number of doses that European citizens are entitled to, and which have been promised on the basis of the contract.”
AstraZeneca has so far delivered just 31 million of the 120 million doses it had promised to the EU.
In a statement, AstraZenca said it had fully complied with the Advance Purchase Agreement with the European Commission and will strongly defend itself in court.
A company spokesman said: "We believe any litigation is without merit and we welcome this opportunity to resolve this dispute as soon as possible.”
