The Dáil returns from its two-week Easter recess today, and the political agenda is already beginning to feel packed to the brim.
The referendum on the Eighth Amendment may not dominate proceedings inside the Houses of the Oireachtas, but it will remain the most pressing political issue outside the main arena.
However, there are other matters that will need seeing to, including the upcoming budget, the end of the confidence-and-supply arrangement and the possibility of a general and presidential election.
It was always expected there would be a natural friction between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil as their arrangement drew to a conclusion. We will see that develop over the course of this Dáil term.
Fianna Fáil is, no doubt, frustrated. That frustration has manifested itself over the past few weeks with a minor frontbench reshuffle, an amplification of its criticism and a deliberate attempt to create a divide between the party and Fine Gael.
The issues Fianna Fáil has focused on include education, health, housing and Brexit. However, their most effective tactic to date has been an attempt to paint Leo Varadkar and his senior Ministers as a Government out of touch with reality.
It may be juvenile to paint Varadkar as a posh southsider, but those frustrated with the Government or its actions may find solace in that message.
The new leadership at Sinn Féin, meanwhile, has used the Easter break as an opportunity to hit the ground running. Mary Lou McDonald embarked on a mini-tour of the country, hitting Meath, Cork, Wexford and Dublin West, among other places.
She also conducted meetings with business leaders, teachers and the gay, lesbian and transgender community. They may not be natural homes for Sinn Féin support, but with a new leader in situ and a collapse in support for the Labour Party, there are ample opportunities for the party.
The two main Opposition parties are, it seems, laying the groundwork for a general election. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and his colleagues are no doubt doing likewise.
Although the opposition has constant criticism at its disposal, Fine Gael will have bigger tools than most at its mercy. There is quite a bit of money to play around with in the forthcoming budget, and this could potentially be a signicant pre-election factor for Fine Gael.
Presidential election: pic included
There is a new painting of President Michael D Higgins in Leinster House. It is in a prime position at the main staircase in the House.
To put this in blunt terms, any politician who enters or leaves the Dáil or the Seanad chambers will have to walk past a significantly sized portrait of our President.
For a man who may seek support from political leaders for his re-election campaign, this constant reminder of his presence will do him no harm whatsoever.
