Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said that he hopes the second stage of a bill seeking to restrict protests around healthcare centres providing termination of pregnancy services will be brought before the Dáil next week.
Earlier, Mr Donnelly brought the legislation before the Cabinet.
The Safe Access Zones Bill will prohibit anyone trying to impede access or influence people's decisions within 100m of the entrance of a healthcare building providing abortion services.
This includes GP practices, maternity hospitals and family planning clinics.
Fines up to €2,500 or up to six months in prison will be included in the legislation for multiple offences.
The legislation preserves the right of people to protest about abortion in all other areas.
Speaking to RTÉ's News at One, Mr Donnelly said: "I’m hoping to have the second stage of this Bill in the Dáil next week. I want to move on this quickly. It’s something that has been promised for some time.
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"There are two core prohibitions. The first is that it will not be lawful for people to attempt to impede anybody’s access to these facilities.
"The second is that it will not be lawful for people to attempt to influence the decision of people seeking to access these services," he said.
The Presbyterian Assembly in Ireland has expressed concern at the proposals, claiming that it "may create a precedent for curtailing of free speech and the limitation of the expression of faith in public".
However, Mr Donnelly said that this type of situation is covered in the proposed Act.
He said: "There’s an explicit provision in the Act that says all religious premises are exempt. So, if you happen to have a GP clinic right beside a church then the church is fully exempt.
"They wouldn’t be allowed to protest. They would be allowed to carry out their own religious beliefs within their church. What they would not be allowed to do is try and impede access to women going into a GP clinic."
Under the plan going to Cabinet, gardaí will give people an opportunity to comply with the legislation by first issuing a "warning".
The criminal offence only occurs if a person continues to protest in a safe zone after this warning.
Offences will be prosecuted at district court level with the harshest penalties to apply for repeat offenders.
Dept to launch project to redesign Irish passport
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Micheál Martin was due to update Cabinet about a public engagement process to create a new design for Irish passports.
The Department of Foreign Affairs will soon launch a project to redesign the Irish passport to include the latest security features and to highlight Irish culture.
The current passport book is ten years old and the International Civil Aviation Authority recommends documents undergo frequent revamps to include new enhanced security features.
Since launching in 2013, the existing Irish passport has been recognised as a highly trusted and secure travel document.
It ranks sixth in the Henley Global Passport Index, providing citizens with visa-free access to 187 countries.
The new passport design will focus on Ireland's natural environment.
The public will be asked through a short online questionnaire to consider which Irish flora and fauna should be included in the design.
The survey will be launched tomorrow and it is hoped the new passports will be in place before the end of 2025.
Meanwhile, Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien will ask the Government to note he is proceeding with the construction of 853 homes on a Dublin City Council site at Oscar Traynor Road in Dublin 17.
It will be made up of social housing, cost rental homes, and affordable purchase homes on a 40%, 40%, 20% split.
