The Cabinet Covid Committee will meet later on Friday to decide on how Ireland's future will look under Covid and the full lifting of all remaining restrictions.
The Government has said that an announcement will be made "before the end of August", with the Taoiseach expected to address the nation on Monday evening.
In recent weeks, there has been an increase in focus on the removal limits on live events, religious services and exercise classes, particularly after scenes which saw 40,000 in Croke Park.
However, Dr Tony Holohan and the National Public Health Emergency Team want more time.
In a letter to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly, Dr Holohan made a recommendation that there should be no widespread further easing until 90% of those aged 16 and older are fully vaccinated.
If that is the route the Government go, we will be waiting until around the middle of October.
The full Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to sign-off on the new roadmap.
A senior Government source said “the finish line keeps moving” and the finish line “always seems to be ‘a few weeks’ away.”
The Irish Mirror understands that Dr Holohan has said other criteria such as the rate of infections should be stable as well as case numbers before the Government relaxes more rules.
However, the letter did not suggest restrictions should be removed in phases and no dates were provided in the letter, either.
But the view is that “ending all legal restrictions on a single day is not a great idea.”
The threshold is a high one to reach.
It would be “optimistic” if the nightclubs and casinos reopened in October as normal, the source added.
Coalition leaders will aim to tease out with Dr Holohan what sector of society can reopen in the interim as it is not clear from the NPHET letter what they are advising can be opened before the vaccine target is met.
