Politics watch: Coalition tensions over student fees?
James Cox
Here, we have a look at the issues likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.
Row over student fees
Student fees are the main topic of discussion this week.
The student contribution fee has been temporarily reduced for the past three years as part of the cost-of-living packages accompanying the budget.
The fees had been €3,000 before being temporarily cut by €1,000, saving families with multiple children at third level thousands of euros per academic year.
However, it is not clear whether fees will be reduced as part of the budget.
The Government has come under pressure to clarify its plans for student fees after Minister for Higher Education James Lawless said student contribution fees will increase as there is no cost-of-living package in the upcoming budget.
Fine Gael TD Maeve O’Connell said: “Reducing the cost of education and helping hard-pressed families is important to Fine Gael and our party.
“Now is not the time to row back on commitments made by the party during the last election and by this Government."
A public criticism of a Coalition colleague is uncommon, and sources in Fine Gael were reported to be equally angry over the issue.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris subsequently denied their was any rift at Cabinet, but consensus over the issue seems to be far from certain.
In any case, criticism from the Opposition has been loud.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald accused the Government of “ducking and diving” over the issue.
She made the comments ahead of a Sinn Féin motion, calling for college fees to be reduced by €500 this September.
Ms McDonald told the Dáil on Tuesday: “Can the Taoiseach be straight with students and their parents? Can he tell them when they get their bill for their college fees in September how much they will be asked to pay? Will it be €2,000 or €3,000?
“That is the very simple question that has been asked since the Minister, Deputy James Lawless, went on radio and stated that without a cost-of-living package, college fees would be hiked up by €1,000.
“That was nine days ago. While the Taoiseach has been away in Japan, we have had a parade of senior Government ministers in here, refusing to answer that very straightforward question.
“The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste have dodged answering it too. The Government is ducking and diving, oblivious that students are sitting down with their parents to make decisions about college now, today.
“A €1,000 hike in college fees is a lot of money for families."
Supermarket profits
The Social Democrats are set to propose a motion for clarity on supermarket profits.
The party claims shoppers have a right to know how much profit supermarkets are making, and change shops if they so wish.
Presidential rumours
Big names have been slow to emerge ahead of the election, but many are likely to set out their stall in the weeks to come given the election must take place by Tuesday, November 11th.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald is the latest to be linked with a presidential bid.
When asked if she was ruling herself out, Ms McDonald replied: "Well, we're in this process and we're not ruling anything in or anything out.
"As and when we have news for you around our own process and procedure, and all the runners and riders. I've seen lots of people's names mentioned, so we're not making any comment definitively on any of them, myself included."
Abroad
In the UK, French president Emmanuel Macron is currently on an official state visit.
He is negotiating with prime minister Keir Starmer over plans to reduce migrant small boayt crossings across the English Channel.
In the US, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is on a visit where he is engaged in talks with president Donald Trump.
However, hopes of a Gaza ceasefire plan are yet to materialise.
Meanwhile, Mr Trump's fallout with his former billionaire backer Elon Musk is continuing in dramatic fashion.
The Tesla and SpaceX chief executive has threatened to form a third US political party, the 'America Party'.