Good morning,It may be only mid-June, but pre-budget positioning is already under way. The Government convened the National Economic Dialogue at Dublin Castle on Monday, starting the ball rolling towards October’s budget with signals that it wants to scale back the rate of spending growth in the economy. Read Pat Leahy’s report here.That’s all well and good – Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris, and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers were all singing off the same hymn sheet. But the pre-budget roundtable also provides a shop window for the competing pressures exerted on the Government. Yes, the Coalition will foreground its interest in spending discipline, but it must also strike a balancing act as interest groups begin to queue up with their spending asks. Nowhere is this more apparent than in its discussions with unions: the current deal on public sector pay expires at the end of the month, and while a separate process from the budget proper, striking a new deal is a pricey business. The unions are feeling the pressure from their members who themselves are struggling with cost-of-living demands. The long tail of April’s response to the fuel protests, when the Coalition splashed the cash in the face of wildcat blockades, is also clear, with unions anxious to prove they can also achieve results for their members through the formal structures of engagement with Government. The Coalition is already showing a bit of leg on tax, promising a personal tax package that was absent last year, and action on childcare costs. Will that be enough? In the face of so many demands, it rarely is. The long road to October starts here. Best readsEmbattled UK prime minister Keir Starmer announced a social media ban for the under 16s on Monday. But whatever happened to Irish plans in this area?End of an era as Phoenix Magazine calls time after 40 years on newsstands.There’s a deal to end the war between the US and Iran – but will it work, and how quickly? Read Denis Staunton’s Global Briefing newsletter here. Meanwhile, Donald Trump marked his birthday with “the most American thing ever”. Keith Duggan reports on the spectacle of UFC at the White House. Eamon Ryan on Europe’s geopolitical climate dilemma. Naomi O’Leary on the frantic preparations for a fraught G7 in the Alps.Get yer boaters out, it’s Bloomsday. Dermot Hodson on Ulysses and political optimism.PlaybookCabinet is meeting in the morning at Government Buildings. Here’s a rundown of what we expect Ministers to be nattering about.In the afternoon, proceedings in the Dáil get under way with Leaders’ Questions at 2pm. A number of Bills are being introduced in the afternoon, including on nutritional standards in school meals, before Taoiseach’s Questions at 3.20pm. Sinn Féin has a Private Members’ Bill in the evening on the abolition of the three-day-wait rule for abortions, before oral questions for Peter Burke and topical issues round the day out.Here’s the full running order.The Seanad meets at 2.30pm with commencement matters, with Government business in the late afternoon and evening given over to legislation on the domestic violence judgments register and the critical infrastructure Bill. The schedule can be found here.Meanwhile, the AI committee meets at 11am, while at the same time aquaculture and water quality will be the topic for the fisheries and maritime affairs committee. Tusla is in front of the justice committee in the afternoon on its relationship with the Garda and courts, while Helen McEntee meets the foreign affairs committee at 3pm. Some of the big builders are in before the housing committee at the same time on barriers to housing delivery, while fiscal watchdog Ifac is in before the budgetary oversight committee at 3.30pm.Here’s the complete list of sittings.