PEOPLE are expected to be permitted to travel within their own counties from the middle of April.
An announcement will be made on the easing of Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions today.
The announcement will urge caution with a phased lifting of the measures to be introduced as Covid-19 cases remain worryingly high.
Informed sources say that the easing will begin on April 12 when all secondary school students will be back in classrooms.
The 5km travel restriction for exercise purposes is also expected to be lifted from that date.
While the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) is recommending that sport does not return until May, it is expected that non-contact training pods of 15 for children will be considered under the new measures.
Golf and tennis are to get the green light for resumption while senior inter-county GAA teams are also expected to be allowed return to training.
Health officials have warned that a significant relaxing of Level 5 measures could have dire consequences with another wave of Covid-19 cases a possibility.