A short Cabinet meeting has been held remotely to approve legislation to give legal clarity to the rules around outdoor drinking.
The legislation will allow for the sale and consumption of alcohol in designated areas outside pubs and restaurants.
The bill will also extend enforcement powers to gardaí to ensure licensed premises are operating in line with Covid-19 regulations.
It is set to go before the Dáil this week and is due to expire on 30 November unless renewed by the Oireachtas for another six months.
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage Darragh O'Brien has said the legislation will "remove any doubt" for businesses offering outdoor dining.
Speaking this evening, he said the changes were made to ensure that "areas that have been designated for our restaurants and for our bars in newly pedestrianised streets" can provide outdoor dining and drinking services.
That came after doubts about the legality of the service were raised by gardaí in Galway, as first reported two weeks ago by the Connacht Tribune.
Gardaí said that the consumption of alcohol in these spaces was not permitted, unless specifically provided for in a liquor licence obtained in court or where by-laws permitted the drinking of alcohol in public.
Additional reporting Sorcha Ní Riada, Tommy Meskill
