Taoiseach Micheál Martin says housemates should talk to each other about breaking coronavirus guidelines.
He was responding to a text put to him by Pat Kenny, about a woman whose housemate was going to a party with 12 people.
Mr Martin suggested: "The person needs to talk to the flatmate, we need serious engagement at one to one level.
"People need to challenge and say 'Look, this isn't on - I'm living in this apartment, you're going off to some place where there's 12 people and it's just not on'".
"We all have conversations - we all in our own families - have conversations about what should or shouldn't be done, should we go there, or should that happen.
"I think that has happened in communities and families across the country.
"And in most cases it's happening in an intelligent and informed way".
But he also said that giving Gardaí more powers to punish those who break the rules "is very difficult in itself."
"There are issues in terms of Gardaí going into every single house, that potentially is an issues that many people would have significant reservations about.
"And the practicality of Gardaí going into every single household is something that would be quite challenging in itself".