The government is strongly considering telling people not to travel to Northern Ireland from next week, due to the region's Covid-19 crisis.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar told his party colleagues last night the measure may be introduced, but no final decision has been made.
The cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 will meet this evening to finalise plans to exit level five next week, ahead of an announcement tomorrow.
It's believed shops, gyms and hairdressers will be the first to reopen, with restaurants and hotels expected to follow.
Former HSE director-general Tony O'Brien lives in Co Louth - and says the government would be right to advise against travel to the North.
"I think it's reasonable - particularly if they're on the brink of relaxing some of the measures here - is that in order to protect their people from transmission of COVID, and until such time as there's an alignment of measures in Northern Ireland, it's best to avoid travel to Northern Ireland at this time.
"I live fairly close to the border myself, and I haven't crossed it since the situation became so bad - it's a place I wouldn't want to go right now."
269 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in the Republic last night, along with six more deaths.
The 14-day incidence rate for the disease has dropped to 105 per 100,000 people.
On the same day last week, it was 119.
