Micheál Martin said he understands 'how difficult and devastating the year has been to hospitality; we get that, we understand that. And we also understand the need to give notice'
He told RTÉ's The Week in Politics that he was not in a position to name the date, and would not speculate on what the decision might be.
In recent days, there have been suggestions that indoor dining and entertainment could be delayed due to the Delta variant of Covid-19 - something which has prompted the hospitality sector to demand a speedy decision. The key areas of focus will be if younger people can in future receive AstraZeneca and the Johnson & Johnson vaccines and if people in their 60s can receive a different second shot to the first vaccine they received. Mr Martin said whether AstraZeneca and Janssen vaccine surpluses can be used for younger people will be a factor that influences the Government's decision to reopen hospitality.
However, reports that he is veering towards a cautious approach to reopening are "not entirely correct" the Taoiseach said.