Senior government ministers will meet today to consider closing schools until the end of the month.
The cabinet sub-committee on Covid-19 will discuss the proposal before a final decision is made tomorrow.
It comes as 6,110 new cases of the virus were confirmed last night - the highest since the pandemic began - with 6 further deaths.
There has been a ten-fold increase in the number of Covid-related presentations to GPs since just before Christmas.
The Chief Medical Officer says the country "can't cope" with the current levels of the disease.
Dr Tony Holohan says keeping schools open poses further risks
