Yesterday's Sunday Business Post carried two substantial stories on public sector pay. Budget office warns public sector pay bill could jump by 1.1billion and Public sector seeks slice of recovery . Both are behind a paywall, there's a hard copy in the Communications office.

This marks the ground preparations for both the October budget and the publication of the report by the Public Service Pay Commission, which is due to be published very shortly.  

In the Irish Times Darragh O’Connor, co-ordinator of Siptu's Big Start campaign, writes that the Government must allocate a greater part of GDP to create affordable, high-quality childcare.

On Friday the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs acknowledged the ICTU's call for further investment in the sector: "The levels of investment which the ICTU set out for the years to come are necessary if we are to achieve the ultimate goal of having a Childcare service which not only meets the international norm but can also deliver for Irish families for generations to come."

Elsewhere last week, Fórsa cabin crew workplace representatives at Ryanair and their officials signed a recognition agreement with the airline, making the union the sole negotiating union for directly employed cabin crew in Ireland. 

In other news, the new Garda Commissioner was sworn in last night, while the front pages are dominated by Dublin's spectacular Croke Park victory yesterday as they made it four in a row. Keith Duggan's excellent account of the game is linked via the image above.

For your Zen this morning I give you Patrick Freyne's unique take on Electric Picnic, from which the casualties, overdosed on quinoa and kale smoothies, will be making their way home this morning.

Have a good week.