Here, we have a look at the topics likely to dominate political discourse in the week to come.
Autumn general election?
While Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin continue to insist the Governent will serve its full term to March 2025, an autumn general election appears to be on the cards.
Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil held their own in the recent local and European elections, while Sinn Féin suffered disappointing results.
This, and the fact there would be five by-elections due to the election of MEPs and Michael McGrath as EU Commissioner, will both be contributing factors.
Fine Gael has also confirmed candidate selection will need to be completed by September 22nd.
“With the conclusion of the local and European elections, the Fine Gael Executive Council has requested that all Fine Gael Dáil selection conventions take place by September 22nd,” a spokesperson said. “This is to ensure that new candidates have ample opportunity to prepare, receive training and build profile in advance of the general election which is due on or before March 22nd, 2025.”
In a recent interview with BreakingNews.ie, Ivan Yates predicted November 15th as the most likely general election date.
Green Party leadership contest
Roderic O'Gorman and Pippa Hackett have both put their cases forward in the Green Party leadership contest.
At the leadership hustings on Sunday, Mr O'Gorman spoke about getting the party on an election footing, while Ms Hackett spoke of dealing with an "image problem".
Minister for Integration O'Gorman is regarded as the favourite over Ms Hackett, who is a senator.
The decision will be made by votes from the party's 4,000 members, with the new leader to be announced on Monday, July 8th.
Defence Forces controversy, Aer Lingus dispute
The Taoiseach has admitted he was frustrated over an ongoing controversy in the Defence Forces.
It comes after earlier this week Simon Harris stated that information on how many serving members had criminal convictions was not immediately available to him.
The Defence Forces later said a total of 68 members have been convicted or are before the courts charged with criminal offences.
They include public order, drink-driving, drugs, physical assault and sexual offences.
Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Micheál Martin asked for a review of members of the military who were charged with offences after the case of an Irish soldier who assaulted a woman until she was unconscious prompted protests across Ireland in the past week.
Victim Natasha O’Brien called on politicians and the Defence Forces to “do your job” to protect women and other civilians.
On the Aer Lingus pilots' pay dispute, Mr Harris said the Government has already intervened.
Mr Harris said the Government has done what it can but that both sides need to sort this out quickly.
"The State already has made an intervention through the Labour Court, so the Labour Court has already met both parties separately in the last couple of days.
"But on that occasion, they said 'hang on a second, you guys are too far apart, we'll be back to you in a few days', and the private conversations, I'm sure took place. Now on Monday, the Labour Court will again meet, so that is Government, through its industrial relations mechanism endeavouring to make progress."
Sinn Féin targets electoral success in North
Sinn Féin wants to maximise the number of “progressive” MPs returned from Northern Ireland in this year’s UK general election, vice president Michelle O’Neill has said.
The party is running 14 candidates, standing aside in East Belfast, North Down and Strangford where Alliance is challenging unionists, as well as South Belfast where the SDLP is hoping to return to the green benches.
Ms O’Neill said it had not been an easy decision to stand aside in the four constituencies but said the party wants to see a “rejection” of those who had “propped up” the last Conservative government.
Abroad
In the UK, general election campaigning is approaching the final stages ahead of the Thursday, July 4th poll.
A convincing victory for the Labour Party looks inevitable. The only uncertainty is how strong the majority will be for Keir Starmer's party.
Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party is in a fight to be the largest opposition party, as polls suggest they will be under pressure from the Liberal Democrats and Nigel Farage's Reform UK.
Meanwhile, the US is still reeling from a chaotic US presidential debate.
US president Joe Biden performed poorly, and appeared confused at times, prompting calls for him to step aside for a different challenger to Republican candidate Donald Trump.
However, top Democrats have insisted Mr Biden will be the candidate for November's poll.
