Taoiseach Micheál Martin remained tightlipped while heading in to brief Cabinet at Dublin Castle but said the advice from NPHET was "very firm."
When asked to put publicans out of their misery, Mr Martin said he has just had a "fresh meeting" from the Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn and that the advice from NPHET was "very firm."
Mr Martin said he will now brief Cabinet on the advice given and will provide an update later.
Earlier Tanaiste Leo Varadkar suggested that NPHET will take a "very cautious" approach to reopening pubs next Monday.
Following a meeting with the Acting CMO, Varadkar said government will take a very cautious approach over the next couple of weeks which will come as a further blow to some of the sectors that have not been reopened.
But the Tanaiste said they can’t risk moving backwards or risk the schools not reopening.
Mr Varadkar said: "We had a meeting with the CMO now and we will have a meeting with the Cabinet next and a decision will be made at that Cabinet and announced afterwards.
"What I can say is it is unfortunate truth that this pandemic is still raging across the world and even here in Europe where it is under relative control we have seen a rise in cases here in Ireland."
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