NPHET is 'hopeful' that they'll be able to recommend an easing of coronavirus restrictions from December 1st.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said they'll meet in two weeks - on November 26th - to formally discuss their advice to Government on restrictions.
Dr Holohan said signs are currently encouraging, but there are still a number of weeks to go of level five restrictions and further improvements in the coronavirus situation is still needed.
He also backed the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar's suggestion today that people shouldn't book flights home for Christmas at the moment.
He said people should continue to avoid non-essential travel for the foreseeable future - including the Christmas period.
✈️ Dr Tony Holohan @CMOIreland says he’d echo the Tanaiste’s comments that people shouldn’t book flights home for Christmas at the moment #COVID19
— Stephen Murphy (@StephenMNews) November 12, 2020
Level five restrictions have now been in place for over three weeks, and the current lockdown is in place until the start of the December.
Speaking this evening, Dr Holohan said: "We'll be giving formal consideration to where we're at from an epidemiological assessment that will be the basis of the advice we'll give to Government... as to what we think the appropriate measures would be on public health grounds as and from 1st December, if a change is warranted at that point in time.
"We're optimistic and hopeful we'll be in a position to recommend that on public health grounds."
He stressed the situation does still need to continue to improve, and while officials are hopeful they do not yet know where the country will be in two weeks time.
Meanwhile, Dr Holohan's NPHET colleague Professor Philip Nolan said the risks of international travel can't be downplayed.
He said: "This is a global pandemic. How did the virus spread? Through international travel. How do new strains of the virus spread?
"Travel presents an increasing risk if the prevalence in your jurisdiction is very low compared with others."
The NPHET members were speaking as 395 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in the Republic today.
