Taoiseach Micheal Martin has declared that "outdoors is the theme for the summer" in a hopeful update ahead of some restrictions easing.
Starting tomorrow outdoor sport, outdoor attractions, and underage sport is set to return and the maximum attendance at funerals will increase to 25.
Mr Martin said today: "Outdoors is the theme for the summer. The Government is committed to that. That is the Government's position as well.
"What we said we'll do last month for April, we did. And we can see the latest installment of that on Monday with underage sport coming back in terms of non-contact outdoor training for under 18s.
"I would like to see the over-18s. We'll be examining that from May because I'm very concerned about mental wellbeing."
He added that outdoor was "less critical than indoor" in the context of the spread of COVID-19.
When asked if the hospitality sector will be allowed to open, he told RTE's The Week in Politics: "I can understand with the hospitality sector livelihoods are at stake. It's been devastated as a result of this pandemic. But I've said at the outset is that anything we open now, we want to keep open.
"We want to end this 'start-stop' closures. Many people in different sectors have said that to us.
"We have got to do this in a proper way. April has been good. We're ahead of targets. The strategy is working in terms of controlling the virus."
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