Tanáiste Leo Varadkar has announced that social distancing will no longer be a legal requirement once the government lifts restrictions on October 22.
Mr Varadkar said people will also be able to order a drink at a bar again from that date.
He was speaking in response to his Fine Gael colleague Jennifer Carroll MacNeill who raised the issue that some maternity hospitals are still imposing restrictions on pregnant couples.
She said a pregnant woman or couple could attend a pilot nightclub event in the Button Factory on Thursday night with the use of a vaccine pass and an antigen test but if they attend a maternity hospital tomorrow, they may not be allowed be together.
Mr Varadkar said he shared Ms MacNeill’s frustration and said he will raise the matter with Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly again.
The Fine Gael leader also reconfirmed that the Government is to lift all legal restrictions on October 22 including rules on the hospitality sector.
He said: “On the 22nd of October we are going to remove almost all legal restrictions in this State that were introduced as a consequence of the pandemic.”
He added that there will be no social distancing required.
Hospitality venues will be able to return to the capacity they had pre-pandemic.
People will be able to order a drink at a bar.