The country's top health officials are reportedly considering allowing cafes, restaurants and retailers to reopen by mid-summer.

Meanwhile, people may also be allowed to holiday within Ireland by late summer.

The Irish Times reports that plans for lifting the COVID-19 restrictions will be broken down into at least five phases.

It said the phases were initially set to be rolled out between early May and September; however, the latest draft contains no dates.

The phases are dependent on key targets for tackling the virus being met.

Meanwhile, the failure to meet the long-promised target test capacity of 100,000 a week is seen as a factor in the likely decision not to lift lockdown restrictions next Tuesday.

The government is expected to reveal details of the plan on Friday, after the National Public Health Emergency Team meets.

The Taoiseach on a visit to the COVID-19 Community Assessment Hub in DCU Collins Avenue this morning, 29-04-2020. Image: Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Speaking this morning, the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said people should not get their hopes up about any easing of restrictions.

“We really have to look at things like the number of patients that are in our ICUs with COVID, the number of new cases, the number of deaths,” he said.

“I don’t think I would be out of school by saying that those numbers just are not good enough yet.

“Maybe it will change significantly by Friday but, as things stand, I don’t think we are there yet. There are still a lot of patients – over 100 patients in our ICUS with COVID.”

He said officials are aware that people are seeing restrictions being lifted in other countries and are questioning why Ireland is not following suit.

"Bear in mind that it has always been the case those many of countries have been a few weeks ahead of us in the pandemic," he said.

"The Government will only be comfortable making the decision to begin reopening our society and our economy when we are happy that the medical data and the advice we get from our doctors says it is safe to do so.

“Because the last thing we would want to do – and it may unavoidable – but the last thing we would want to do is to open the country too quickly and then have to go backwards again.”

The National Public Health Emergency Team deliver the latest COVID-19 update, 23-04-2020. Image: Rory Walsh/Newstalk

Speaking last night, the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan said the restrictions are not being kept in place lightly.

“It weighs heavily on us,” he said. “We understand the nature of restrictions that we are asking society to put in place – we would have said that all along.

“Asking people over the age of 70 to stay at home under all circumstances is a really difficult measure

“People being out of work and people losing their jobs, we understand all of these.

“Our primary obligation is to make assessments in relation to the disease and to advise on the decisions we think are necessary in order to interrupt that transmission.”

Students at Belvedere College in Dublin sit the first day of the leaving cert exams, 03-06-2009. Image: Mark Stedman/RollingNews

Meanwhile, the Schools are today expected to be given the all-clear to carry out their own assessments of Junior Cert students.

It follows a U-turn on how to replace the exams, which have been cancelled due to COVID-19.

Under the new plans, pupils will have tests and assessments before the summer - rather than wait for the next academic year.

There's been widespread opposition to the original plan to replace the June exams with school-based assessments in the autumn.