Ministers met the Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan today with many urging him to ease restrictions to enable older people exercise outside their homes.
The Government had advised all those who are over 70 or who are extremely medically vulnerable to "cocoon". Last night, ministers received a text from Taoiseach Leo Varadkar telling them about today's meeting.
A majority called for several of the restrictions to be relaxed, with some said to have been particularly "liberal" in their approach.
It is understood that ministers were told that the reopening of pubs will not happen until the latter part of the unwinding process.