A number of Ministers have expressed doubt over whether construction sites will reopen next month.
The majority of sites have been closed since January 8th, with a few exceptions.
Last week, the Department of Housing said it was "working towards the reopening of construction from March 5th, once it is safe to do so"?
It's understood it is keen to see a return of home and apartment building from then, with commercial construction to return at a later date.
However, privately some Ministers think NPHET is likely to advise against it.
The belief from those Ministers is that the wider construction sector may not return until April.
One cabinet source said they believe NPHET will prioritise opening schools in March with housing waiting another month.
A senior source in the Department of Housing said they will present NPHET with evidence showing the limited amount of construction that has stayed open through Level Five has done so safely.
The government estimates each week the sector is shut translates to seven-or-eight hundred fewer houses that will be built this year.
*Reporting by Sean Defoe
