The Leader of the Seanad, Mary O'Rourke, is planning to introduce a private member's Bill to outlaw human trafficking for sexual purposes.
The Bill proposes a 10-year jail sentence for people found guilty of trafficking and will also include a provision to allow victims a "refuge period" in Ireland during which they can decide whether to provide evidence about their traffickers.
The proposal follows an RTÉ Prime Time documentary earlier this month that highlighted the problem and the lack of anti-trafficking legislation relating to prostitution in Ireland.
Mrs O'Rourke is proposing to introduce the Bill before the Seanad early next month and has written to Minister for Justice Michael McDowell seeking his support for the Bill.
Mr McDowell is already committed to introducing similar legislation but this is not expected until later this year, as required under a 2002 European directive.
In various statements in recent weeks the Department of Justice has said there were already stringent laws dealing with human trafficking, kidnapping and rape that would be applicable to cases of women trafficked into this country for prostitution.
Ireland, however, is the only country in Western Europe with no specific laws relating to trafficking for prostitution purposes. Authorities in other countries have said that such laws were the most effective way to combat such trafficking activity.
Mrs O'Rourke said she was prompted to introduce the legislation following the Prime Time documentary and because of her involvement with Ruhama, a charity working with prostitutes that has been highlighting the problem of women being trafficked into Ireland and into prostitution against their will.
Mrs O'Rourke is a patron of the charity and has held discussions in recent days with Ruhama on the proposed legislation. She has also written to the Taoiseach seeking approval to introduce the private member's Bill.
Under Oireachtas procedures TDs and Senators have the right to bring forward legislation for debate to the Dáil and Seanad, providing it has no financial implications for the State.
The mechanism is often used by Opposition parties, but such legislation, which requires the support of the Government to pass through the Houses of the Oireachtas, rarely succeeds in being enacted into law.