The Taoiseach says COVID-19 has been effectively suppressed in the community.
Speaking in the Dáil, Leo Varadkar thanked people for complying with the phase one rules of the re-opening of the country.
He said: "There has been broad compliance with the five rules and the four steps - so I want to say thank you to the Irish people.
"We have shown our capacity to re-organise our lives to protect the welfare of all, and it is a remarkable demonstration of solidarity and care for each other".
But he said the real effect on the reproductive rate will not be known until the first week in June.
"We need to stay vigilant - we really won't know until the first week of June whether the easing of restrictions has increased the reproduction number, or to what extent".
He said the Government will make a decision on whether the country can move to phase two on Friday June 5th.
"I know that some other countries are opening faster, but every country's circumstances are different - and we stand over the slow and steady approach.
"If things go well, it can be accelerated - but we simply cannot make that call at the moment".
He also said the Government's working on plans for a second wave that coincides with flu season in late autumn or winter.
But he said for now, the numbers are positive.
"This week we have seen the lowest number of daily deaths and cases, and the lowest numbers of people in our ICUs, since March.
"While we continue to mourn those who have died, we will never get used to the daily loss of life.
"We take some comfort in the fact the trend's going in the right direction.
"Transmission in the community has been effectively suppressed, which was the strategy from the beginning.
"And we're now working to suppress it in other settings and clusters".
