The nation's mental health has been "totally eroded" by the presence of COVID-19, according to a Fianna Fáil TD.
Marc MacSharry, a TD for Sligo-Leitrim, said that doesn't really welcome a move to Level 5 and that everyone is at their "wits' end" in terms of COVID-19.
The Government is expected to announce a move to the highest level of restrictions for a six week period.
Speaking on The Hard Shoulder, Mr MacSharry said he shared the frustrations of many people since the pandemic began.
He said: "There has been a lot of inconsistency in communication in the last period and I think we still lack a definitive strategy.
"I think the five levels that were originally announced have been adjusted five to six times so far...and we may have further adjustments to Level 4 or Level 5 tonight.
"With a million children in school nationally, I think this is a virus that's going to spread in any event and we need to focus very heavily on protecting the elderly and vulnerable.
"But the other side of the equation sadly is our nation's mental health has been totally eroded.
"Many people, myself included, are very frustrated with the difficulties that we've had to face up to by way of these rolling lockdowns."
Mr MacSharry added that people's views on the measures to be taken in combatting the virus vary widely.
He said: "I imagine on COVID no two of us would take the same approach and certainly, I think my starting position would be to build surge capacity in the health service in terms of taking over the private hospitals, perhaps other hotels for step-down care so that we can handle what's coming at us.
"Obviously, it's of paramount importance that our children stay in school."
He said he would have preferred a regional approach to restrictions whereby individual counties or areas would be placed under different levels based on the number of cases.
He added: "I am aware that society is very polarised on this issue, it's very hard to find agreement.
"I would say the wall to wall, minute by minute updates, whether it's politicians or medical experts or journalists from seven in the morning to 12 at night is probably fueling that polarisation.
"I don't want to add to that but I'm feeling everyone's pain today."
