Pubs won't know until next Tuesday at the earliest whether they can reopen on August 10th.
Publicans have been calling for certainty for weeks now, after the reopening date for pubs which don't serve food was postponed earlier this month.
The Licenced Vintners Association had demanded that guidelines for re-opening be published this week.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin today said the Government's taking a cautious approach as they examine whether the spike in new cases of coronavirus yesterday is a trend.
The Cabinet will meet on Tuesday to decide whether or not to enter phase four of the easing of restrictions.
Mr Martin said pubs will not be given an answer until after that meeting.
He explained: "Obviously we need to get advice from NPHET... obviously the CMO will want to see if there's a pattern emerging, or is a cluster that has been controlled.
"When you see what's happening in France, Germany and Spain... these numbers are going up very significantly, at a rapid pace.
"The lesson for us really there is we've got to pace how we reopen - we've got to take stock."
Earlier, Joe Sheridan - the owner of Walsh’s Bar in Dunmore, Co Galway - told Lunchtime Live that pubs can open in line with any guidelines that Fáilte Ireland eventually publishes.
He said: "We can put in the measures to ensure my patrons, my family, my staff and my neighbours' safety.
"Let it be policed by the governance that's there - if somebody's contravening those [guidelines], let them close them."
