Fórsa's Andy Pike will be batting for the school secretaries on RTÉ's Morning Ireland at around 7.40. Meanwhile Niall and others have done pre-records for a number of today's national and local news bulletins, including local plugs for our rallies in Donegal and Athlone.

Elsewhere, the Irish Times has this, the Examiner has this, RTÉ has this, and the Journal.ie has this. Here's our release.

Later today we'll be rallying at Dáil Éireann, where there's an air of disappointment among the political correspondents following last evening's inconclusive meeting between the Taoiseach and opposition leader Micheál Martin. Its "constructive and cordial" nature (and absence of breakdown) suggests an immediate election is at least less likely than yesterday afternoon's rather breathless coverage was suggesting. Never mind lads, there'll certainly be another one along in a minute.

In today's other big political story, it looks like the DUP will accept the joint Irish and British government proposals for a Stormont deal.

Despite the sterling work of Fórsa's health division, it's also reported that the State is still spending €1.5 billion a year on temps.

In other news, a leading economist laments the downgrading of specialist skills in the civil service, there's been a worrying increase in the number of workplace fatalities, and the Indo has more about IT spending at the HSE.

The same title advises the WRC to prepare for a "flood' of cases" in the wake of this week's ruling in favour of an RTÉ producer forced to retire at 65.

Now let's turn to the weekend. When Julie first asked me if I wanted to go see Freddie Burretti (aka, The Man Who Sewed The World), I thought it was the Bowie tribute act at the Nag's Head in Only Fools and Horses. Turns out it's a film about the guy who designed Ziggy's early costumes including the frock in today's pic and this stunner from the soon-to-be-megastar's first Top of the Pops appearance.

Also appearing in Dublin's annual Bowie festival this weekend is the legendary producer Tony Visconti who oversaw a decade or more of DB's best work, along with records by T.Rex, Thin Lizzy, Iggy Pop, Altered Images, the Kaiser Chiefs, Manics, Boomtown Rats and many more. I think this merits a re-Zen of this seminal animated reconstruction from a certain late-70s Berlin recording studio. Hilarious.

See you next week.

Bernard