Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has denied the Government acted too slowly to stop the latest spread in cases of COVID-19.
He said the coronavirus is too unpredictable to be always ahead of it.
It comes as counties Monaghan, Cavan and Donegal are being moved onto level four of coronavirus restrictions.
While all household visits across the country are to be banned, except for compassionate grounds and essential reasons like childcare.
It also marks a week since Cabinet's rejection of National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) advice to move the whole country to level five.
Minister Donohoe told Pat Kenny he would not go into what was actually said in Cabinet, but that the right decisions were made at the time.
"What I can assure you is that every decision that is made is soundly and thoroughly debated.
"In the very extensive Cabinet meetings we had there now nearly two weeks ago in dealing with the NPHET recognition then, there was a very rounded appreciation of the consequences of moving to level five - and what that could mean for our society and for our economy.
"That was the right call then, it was the right decision then.
"And in Government, as I think in life, you make decisions based on the facts and views at the time and how you think things could change.
"And that's what we've done".
'A dollar late'
"To suggest that we are a dollar late and behind the curve in relation to this reflects the fact that we are dealing with a pandemic which we know more about then we did earlier on in the year, but we still know so little about in comparison to many other diseases.
"And it's profoundly infectious and even unpredictable at times".
However he would not be drawn on any potential further coronavirus restrictions.
"Our focus at the moment is on making level three work, and in particular making the additional change that was announced last night work.
"As we are looking at and evaluating where we may yet have to go to, I think there are two points that are important.
"The first is the level three and the economic and social consequences of that level being in place for our country of itself is really significant.
"So we have to do all we can - I'd urge your listeners to do all they can to follow those restrictions.
"And secondly if we do move to level four, and this is part of the debate that we've had, the repercussions of that are very, very significant and very comprehensive."
