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

Everyone’s talking about…

The latest twists in the John McNulty saga. The Donegal shop owner has asked deputies not to vote for him in the Seanad by-election but Oireachtas members have already received their ballots and some may already have done so. Other Fine Gael members might find it difficult to pass over a party member whom they see as fairly blameless.

The Taoseach may have some questions to answer from his party later. Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

The Taoiseach’s not getting away from the debacle either though, yesterday he placed the blame on squarely on Fine Gael officials and will likely face some questions from slighted colleagues when the parliamentary party meets this evening and beyond.

The agenda

• McNulty should feature in Leaders’ Questions today but water charges are now in force so expect some strident attacks on Government on this.
• As mentioned above, the Fine Gael parliamentary party meets this evening but so does Labour’s. Time for some stock taking from both coalition partners.
• Getting Irish emigrants back home sounds like tricky goal but an Oireachtas Committee will today discuss if an ‘Emigrant Register’ will help.
• It’s been a big few weeks for David Cameron, the union was saved but Britain is in a fresh conflict in Iraq. Today he makes his final Conservative Party conference speech before the next election.

The Tory faithful were putty in the hands of London Mayor Boris Johnson yesterday. Joe Giddens Joe Giddens

What the others are saying…

• The Irish Daily Mail reports that a Castlebar native and friend of the Taoiseach was appointed to the board of education quango Solas, despite little experience.
• RTÉ says that the Obama administration is preparing to have a role in the new talks in Northern Ireland that will also involve the Irish and British governments.

Inside Leinster House…

The new Gaeltacht Minister Joe McHugh has taken plenty of flak for his lack of Irish in recent months but it appears the Taoiseach’s order for him to brush up on his Gaeilge has paid off. In the halls of Leinster House yesterday, a smiling Donegal North West deputy was spotted conversing confidently in the native tongue with a few visitors.

In case you missed it… 

• It emerged that some Government ministers can claim the cost of water charges on their second homes as expenses.
• A former Fine Gael councillor who served on the board of Irish Water and was subsequently hired as a driver for a Junior Minister resigned from the semi-state.
• Limerick city and councillors rejected a motion proposed by Sinn Féin to cut the local property tax by 15%.
• Health Minister Leo Varadkar was asked to give his opinion on the 8th amendment “as a doctor and young man”. The Government has no intention to repeal it, he said.

Finally, on the tweet machine

Mick Wallace channelled his inner Che Guevara while maintaining his favourite colour scheme in an anti-water charges poster.

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