Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said that the rise in lawsuits personally targeting journalists is "frightening" and is "designed to make journalists afraid".
He told the Dáil: "To see a member of this house, not just suing a major newspaper, but also personally suing a journalist - that's only designed to do one thing.
"Designed to make journalists afraid, to make them think twice about what they write.
"I think it's wrong."
The Taoiseach was responding to Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns, who expressed concern over "the prevalence of strategic lawsuits" which "involve public figures, powerful individuals, or rich corporations taking vexatious cases against the media, activists or indeed members of the public".
This is intended "to muzzle their critics," she added.
"The effect of all of this is that those with deep pockets can shut down debate and silence public interest journalismMs Cairns warned.
While neither Holly Cairns nor the Taoiseach named any journalist or publication, she said: "It is particularly concerning when journalists are personally sued in addition to the publisher, as these cases can be financially ruinous."
Both were speaking after it was reported that Sinn Féin TD Chris Andrews is suing The Irish Times and its political correspondent Harry McGee over an article on the Gaza conflict.
The Sinn Féin Dublin Bay South TD has lodged defamation proceedings against the newspaper and Mr McGee at the High Court.
It is understood that the Sinn Féin deputy claims that he was defamed in an article about his party's response to the Hamas attack on Israel.
"People are entitled to sue the media if they so wish, but they don't have to," Mr Varadkar said.
"There's other ways to seek redress", he noted, including submitting a complaint to the Press Council, which, "at the very least" should be "the first step".
The heads of a bill to change the defamation law will be available "soon", the Taoiseach said, adding that he "[hopes] to have it enacted next year".
The case reportedly involving Mr Andrews is the latest in a series of cases taken by Sinn Féin deputies against media outlets.
Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has a case before the courts which she is taking against RTÉ, while Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire settled a case against the national broadcaster in 2021.
