The High Court is to hear a case seeking to force the Government to hold the Donegal South-West bye-election on 18 October.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns, heard the date had been agreed by both parties and said the case could go ahead on that day, subject to the availability of a judge.
The case is being taken by Sinn Féin Senator Pearse Doherty.
The Donegal South-West seat has been vacant since the election of Fianna Fáil's Pat 'the Cope' Gallagher to the European Parliament in June last year.
There are two other vacancies in the Dáil at present.
They are the seats vacated by George Lee of Dublin South in February and by Martin Cullen of Waterford in March.
