THERE'S been a lot of confusion in recent weeks as to when exactly pubs will be reopening in Ireland.
At the end of June, Ireland entered Phase Three of the roadmap to lifting lockdown, which allowed for some, but not all, pubs to open up again following their closure in March.
Those that could offer and supply customers with a 'substantial meal' - worth €9 or over - were given the green light to swing open their doors, but only around 40% of pubs across the country could meet this criteria.
The rest would have to wait until the country entered Phase Four.
Phase Four delayed
Initially, Ireland was due to enter Phase Four on July 20, but the date was pushed back to August 10.
This was thanks in part to a worrying spike in Covid-19 cases following the reopening of pubs in June, with growing concerns that pub-goers were failing to adhere to social distancing rules.
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar announced last month that the August 10 deadline was no confirmation of when the country would officially enter Phase Four, but that it was the "earliest" possible date for it to happen, and any move forward could be pushed back further upon revision.
Decision due on Tuesday
Despite the caginess from the government, a decision on precisely when the country will enter Phase Four and the remaining pubs be allowed to open is set to be made on Tuesday.
The Cabinet is set to meet to discuss their plan tomorrow, and an announcement on their decision is expected to follow shortly after.
What's likely to happen?
According to The Sun, the government is expected to go ahead with the plan to enter Phase Four on August 10 and allow pubs to officially all reopen.
Though nothing will be confirmed until the announcement, it's expected that all pubs will be required to operate in a similar way to restaurants, in that people will need to book space and tables in advance and there will be no ordering or gathering at the bar allowed.
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