Catherine Martin has indicated she is in favour of indoor pints and dining resuming on Monday week.
The Minister for Tourism is the voice for the sector at the Cabinet table and she said she wants to see a return to business “promptly” to get the summer back on track.
And she said that rapid antigen testing should form part of any discussions after a pilot concert organised by her department used antigens successfully for 3,500 people last week.
Ms Martin will be bringing a memo to Cabinet with Minister for Business, Leo Varadkar, with their recommendations next Tuesday.
This indicates that the Government is moving quickly and a July 19th reopening, in tandem with the official resumption of international holiday travel, is now on the cards.
Ms Martin was speaking to reporters outside the National Gallery in Dublin on Thursday ahead of her attendance at crunch meetings with the hospitality forum this afternoon.
She said: “I want this to be resolved promptly.
“The aim is to take a memo to Government next week and myself and the Tánaiste are determined that will happen.”
Ms Martin told the Irish Mirror: “the clarity will be in that memo, I can’t indicate the date, but I can tell you that I want it and so does the Tánaiste, we’re leaving the talks with our officials, but we want it to be as soon as possible, that reopening.”
She added in relation to antigen testing: “I think all options should be explored and we have that expert advisory group (on antigen testing) there now; I welcome the establishment of that group, who will give us advice on that.
“As you know I did use the antigen testing last week (at the Gavin James pilot concert in Royal Hospital Kilmainham last Saturday) so it’s obviously something I’m in favour of.
“I think antigen testing has a role to play in the reopening of society.”
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