The leaders of the three coalition parties along with the Ministers for Health, Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform, are to meet later today to discuss a recommendation to move to level five of Covid-19 restrictions.
Any decision would require a meeting of the wider cabinet, but so far no such meeting is planned for this weekend. The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, who travelled back from Brussels last night, has said that the situation is very serious and that further action will be needed.
Level 5 restrictions could leave up to 600,000 people once again reliant on the PUP support, and businesses unable to sustain further closures.