The three coalition leaders will meet on Monday to discuss the potential lifting of further Covid rules next week.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan will convene ahead of a crunch Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
It is expected that recommendations from NPHET on relaxing the mandatory wearing of masks will be accepted by the party leaders and a memo will be brought to Cabinet tomorrow.
Public health officials said last week that the current mask-wearing rules can be eased.
In a letter addressed to Minister Stephen Donnelly, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan advised that face masks can be taken off in schools, shops, on public transport and in the workplace.
However, they will still be needed in healthcare settings.
The advice states that the masks rule should be dropped from February 28, but the Government could choose to make the changes earlier than that, as they’ve done in the past.
The penning of the recommendation letter was also one of the last actions of Dr Holohan as head of the sometimes controversial NPHET group.
Dr Holohan reportedly thanked the members for all their work over the last two years at the meeting and told them he would be recommending a new forum for the management of Covid going forward.
It is understood that the CMO and Government are both keen to move away from the emergency, crisis management style NPHET operated under.
Meanwhile, one infectious disease expert has said Ireland should prepare for a pandemic every five to ten years from now on.
Professor Sam McConkey said a detailed public health plan is needed to ensure Ireland is fully prepared for future outbreaks.
“I think we do need to learn public health planning," he told RTE Radio One’s Brendan O’Connor Show.
“I’m delighted there’s now a public health specialist who’s making plans to deal with future public health and health emergencies.
"We need those for the future for about maybe 15 or 20 different emergencies.”
“Many of us have dealt with four or five pandemics in our working life so I think we should expect one every 5, 10, 15 years.”
