The Health Minister was told of the "deep concerns" surrounding Covid-19 before NPHET's 'Level 5' meeting on Sunday.
It has emerged that Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan briefed Stephen Donnelly both before and after the meeting of health experts.
The news sparked controversy after Minister Donnelly failed to disclose that he knew of such concerns during a press briefing earlier this week.
But in fact, both Mr Donnelly and Taoiseach Micheal Martin were in the loop.
Dr Holohan said he was "very clear" during the two telephone conversations.
"We discussed my concerns, the concerns I shared with him of the conversations I had with a range of members of NPHET over the preceding 24 hours and the fact that I was going to hold a meeting of the NPHET and would brief him afterwards, which is exactly what happened," Dr Holohan told reporters at a Department of Health briefing on Wednesday.
"He didn't set out parameters within which we would conduct our considerations.
"I was very clear about the level of concern that I have and had and if anything the level of concern I had then is less than the level of concern I have now."
A spokeswoman for Mr Donnelly said the Minister was informed “for the first time” after the NPHET meeting on Sunday evening that “NPHET recommended a move to level 5.”
She added: “The Minister and Taoiseach communicated after both conversations between the Minister and CMO on Sunday.”
Meanwhile, Dr Holohan also hit out at the leak, saying whoever the source was "did not share our objective to deal with the disease in the way that we think appropriate.”
He said he respected and supports the Government's decision not to move to a Level 5 lockdown.
Ireland recorded 611 new cases and five further deaths on Wednesday.
