Cabinet has agreed to extend the level five lockdown until April 5th.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin is due to address the nation at around 6pm this evening.
His speech is expected to set out the three-phase timetable for re-opening schools, alongside an extension of the current restrictions.
Childcare services will also return in stages starting on March 8th.
The rest of the revised 'living with COVID' plan will be nothing like what we've seen from Boris Johnson, whose government provided a clear pathway out of restrictions.
Instead, the new Irish plan will focus on the process of getting the number of cases down and the number of vaccinations up.
Sinn Féin's health spokesman David Cullinane believes that is broadly the right approach.
He said: "Dates are important - but I think what's more important is how we can get there, and what tools we have to ensure we can keep the numbers are low.
"Dates can be a timeframe that people can aim towards, and it gives people hope. There will be some dates in this in relation to schools reopening."
An update on the vaccine rollout plan and the priority list for vaccination is also expected this evening,
Meanwhile, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is under fire after wrongly casting doubt over the re-opening of schools in a TV interview last night.
Labour leader Alan Kelly saying it puts a question mark over the minister's competency.
He said: "There now appears to be a serious issue of competence.
"This is a minister who is in charge of the health service, vaccination and now quarantine.
"We cannot have a situation where there are issues relating not just to communications... but issues relating to competency as well."
