EACH WEEKDAY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you a comprehensive guide to what’s happening in the political world.

Everyone’s talking about…

Former taoiseach Brian Cowen is almost certain to appear before the banking inquiry Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Two months after they all went off on their holliers (sorry, to do constituency work), TDs and Senators are back as the political season kicks off properly today. The Cabinet also meets this morning as does the banking inquiry with details of what it will examine (the period between 1992 and 2013) and who it will seek to question (everyone from Cowen to Trichet) starting to emerge.

But also emerging is the real threat that the inquiry could collapse before it concludes its work as Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath has warned this morning. Given the very establishment of the Oireachtas committee has been fraught with difficulty there are plenty of hurdles to clear.

The agenda…

• The Cabinet meets this morning. 
• 10am: The Banking Inquiry meets in private session 
• 3.45pm: The Seanad is discussing Direct Provision [Watch here]
• 4.33pm: The first Leaders’ Questions of the new Dáil term gets under way [Watch here]
• 7.30pm: Fianna Fáil’s Dáil private members’ time will focus on water charges, specifically exemptions for people who can’t drink water. [Watch here] 
• It’s the last day of campaigning in the Scottish independence referendum with the latest polls showing a small advantage for the No side. But it’s too close to call.

What the others are saying…

• The Irish Independent (page 14) reports that Joan Burton has dropped a Labour plan to give a child tax credit to parents. The idea had been mooted by her predecessor Eamon Gilmore. 
• The Irish Examiner (page 4) says Leo Varadkar has ruled out rolling back the €2.50 prescription charge in the Budget or indeed any health ‘give backs’. 
• The Irish Times (page 2) says the Reform Alliance will join the Dáil Technical Group, meaning speaking rights and committee places for the Fine Gael rebels.

Inside Leinster House…

The return of the Dáil means the return of Leaders’ Questions and we understand that controversial independent TD Mick Wallace will be representing the Technical Group when it comes to firing questions at Enda Kenny from next week. Given the way he often used to have a hop off Alan Shatter, it’s sure to be interesting.

ICYMI…. 

• A major OECD report could pave the way for big changes to Irish company tax laws. 
• Micheál Martin spent a lot of time talking about coalition partners for Fianna Fáil. 
• And here’s what we learned at the Fianna Fáil think-in. 
• Finally, Joan Burton got into a bit of a pickle with an animal rights group. 

Our most popular story yesterday was… 

Micheál Martin preparing to be Taoiseach generated plenty of debate in our comments and on Twitter:

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Finally, on the Twitter machine… 

Handy with the new water charges coming in…

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