The controversial Public Health (Alcohol) Bill is set to return to the Seanad on Friday to complete all stages.
The legislation will now include concessions for small traders concerned about the financial impact of segregating alcohol from other products in stores.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is understood to have pushed for the Seanad at least to complete the Bill by Christmas.
Mr Varadkar who introduced the legislation in December 2015 when he was minister for health, said this Bill was “very close to my heart”.
He told Fine Gael’s national conference in November he was determined to have the legislation enacted by Christmas but subsequently conceded in the Dáil that it would not happen.
Source: Marie O'Halloran, The Irish Times, 15/12/17