Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern is to ask the Dáil and Seanad to approve an order formally recognising the Press Council of Ireland as the "Press Council".
The move towards formal recognition will confer benefits on the council including qualified privilege attached to its reports and decisions as well as those of the Press Ombudsman.
Mr Ahern said he was satisfied that the application from the Press Council of Ireland met the requirements under the Defamation Act 2009.
He said subscription to the Press Council will strengthen the entitlement to avail of the new defence of reasonable publication in any court action.
Non-members will be required to have in place an equivalent fairness regime or to operate an equivalent and publicised code of standards to avail of that defence.
The Office of the Press Ombudsman and the Press Council of Ireland were established in 2007.
