The former Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan is expected to be granted the Freedom of the City of Dublin.
He will be proposed for the honour at a meeting of Dublin City Council later.
Councillors believe he should be given the position due to his role in the COVID-19 pandemic.
Fine Gael Councillor Danny Byrne has called on Lord Mayor Hazel Chu to bestow the city's highest honour on Dr Holohan.
"Dr Holohan has worked tirelessly for many months now and everyone in the country has been assured by his calm and professional demeanour", he said.
"I have today called on Lord Mayor Chu to bestow the Freedom of Dublin on Dr Tony Holohan."
The Lord Mayor nominates people for the Freedom of the City and nominations are then brought before a meeting of the city council where it must be ratified by a majority vote.
The award acknowledges the contribution of certain people to the life of the city.
It also bestows honour to important visitors to Dublin.
No financial or other benefits are attached to the title but it includes some symbolic privileges and duties.
Recipients are referred to as a ‘Freeman’ or ‘Freewoman’ of Dublin. They are also honorary citizens of the capital.
To date, only 82 people have been conferred with the Freedom of the City.
Previous recipients include Fr Peter McVerry, Mikhail Gorbachev, U2, Bill Clinton, Nelson Mandela and John F Kennedy.
Dr Holohan stepped aside as Chief Medical Officer last week, as his wife is receiving palliative care.
Addressing the move, Dr Holohan said: "As a husband and father, and as a public health doctor, I'm conscious that we've been through tough times together over the last number of months.
"And many families across the country have been affected by the course of COVID-19, suffering pain and the loss of loved ones.
"I hope we can all remain working together to continue to stay vigilant, to keep our social distance and take personal responsibility for our own health in the first instance - as well as looking after our family members, friends and those we care about most".
