Government proposals for a privacy law are not expected to come before the Dáil for debate until next year at the earliest.
The proposed legislation is one of nine Bills, including one dealing with libel reform, that is before the Seanad.
It emerged yesterday that the Government also plans to publish a further 21 Bills between now and Christmas, a number of which are to be prioritised by the Government.
These include legislation to establish the National Consumer Agency, the Medical Practitioners Bill to reform the regulation of doctors, and laws to establish a new Dublin Transportation Authority.
It is also expected to prioritise legislation to enable Irish troops train abroad as part of EU battle groups. It will bring to 45 the number of Bills to be debated before the Dáil and Seanad in the current Oireachtas session, which begins this afternoon following its three-month break.
According to the Government's legislation programme, published yesterday, a further 16 Bills are in the process of being drafted, including key Bills on reforming the Coroner's Court, the establishment of a carbon fund, and the Broadcasting Bill.
Government chief whip Tom Kitt said the programme "reflects the Government's determination to fulfil its commitments outlined in the Agreed Programme for Government and also to bring about other necessary legislative reforms".
The Dáil will sit for 35 days between now and when it breaks for Christmas on December 15th. Because of the legislative programme, TDs will not be taking their normal week-long break during the Halloween period.
Yesterday a spokeswoman for Minister for Justice Michael McDowell said the privacy legislation remained a priority with the Minister, but that the Department of Justice accounted for a third of all legislation before the Houses of the Oireachtas at present.
The Privacy Bill is one of eight pieces of legislation from the department before the Houses of the Oireachtas, most of which are further along the legislative process.