A short Cabinet meeting has been held remotely to approve legislation to give legal clarity to the rules around outdoor drinking.
The legislation is set to go before the Dáil this week. Last week, the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris issued an instruction for gardaí to use discretion in relation to outdoor drinking.
That came after doubts about the legality of the service were raised by gardaí in Galway, as first reported two weeks ago by the Connacht Tribune.
Gardaí said that the consumption of alcohol in these spaces was not permitted, unless specifically provided for in a liquor licence obtained in court or where by-laws permitted the drinking of alcohol in public.