Leinster House lockdown keeps protestors at arm's length as the Dáil resumes, but with pre-election buzz continuing politicians made prompt exits to hit the campaign trail. Speculation as to when we will be going to the polls has hit fever pitch. And then there's the surplus of budgetary kites...

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Childcare, housing, migration are dominating this pre-election cycle, and with €14bn of Apple's cash on the way, the stakes just climbed even higher. Across the pond, Donald Trump went off message and straight into the ditch, while Kamala Harris kept her campaign on track. And Pat Finucane's family finally get a public inquiry into his murder.

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The furore over the inflated cost of an Oireachtas bike shelter gave way to stunned outrage as the scale of abuse at Irish schools was laid bare. Parties clashed over who can sort the housing crisis, and Barnier's back as Macron finally gets his PM.

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A busy summer for Taoiseach Simon Harris, meeting, greeting and literally wearing the green jersey at the Paralympics. Meanwhile, as election speculation intensifies, all parties are scrambling to get candidates in place, with a few celebrities in the mix. A hectic autumn political season beckons.

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Warnings to avoid a Budget bonanza are being batted away by the Government. 'Impeccable manners and a steely edge'...Simon Coveney is to depart the political stage. And can Roderic O'Gorman can wash away the Green Party's toxic reputation in rural Ireland?

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Sir Keir's all set for No. 10. Pundits are speculating on the size of Labour's majority, and who will (be left to) lead the Opposition. Might a change in Whitehall deliver an opportunity to reset relations with our nearest neighbour? More importantly, when we will go to the polls here? The team have a few potential dates.

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He's into his sport, but - unlike his Budget partner Paschal Donohoe - you won't see him at Taylor Swift. Who is Jack Chambers? Áine and the team consider the steep learning curve ahead of the 33 year old, the vote on the Migration Pact, Giorgia Meloni's ire and Natasha O'Brien's standing ovation.

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Will Eamon Ryan's departure speed the 'green reset' needed to restore the party's fortunes? Áine and the team also consider the prospects of a Cabinet reshuffle, whether the Budget will come early, the "strange carry-on" over the Dáil vote on the Migration Pact and Ed Davey's impressive performance on the UK campaign trail.

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This was to have been the aftermath podcast, but counting continues nationwide after voting last Friday. Áine and the team get the latest developments, and ponder some puzzling transfer patterns.

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It's the question everyone is asking, but even the top brass in Sinn Féin can't say why support has dropped so significantly. With results flowing in from the local and Euro election counts, Áine Lawlor, Paul Cunningham, Tommy Meskill and Mícheál Lehane analyse why Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have had a better day than they were expecting.

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