A little like pre-season friendlies in soccer, Irish politics eases itself into the autumn with the “away” parliamentary meetings, or think-ins as they have become known.

Like national conferences and ardfheiseanna, there was a time that they were genuine strategy meetings with a fair quota of debate. But in recent years, backbench TDs and Senators have complained that these meetings too have become extended media events – where everything revolves around the “eye-catching initiatives” that make headlines. That said, the events have provided some of the most telling and significant turning points in recent Irish political history.

A decade ago, Bertie Ahern announced an apparent U-turn in Fianna Fáil's political direction when a new strategy was unveiled in Inchdoney that putatively embraced a more socialist and "caring and sharing" philosophy.

More recently, the Labour Party's think-in of 2012 was dominated by its location – the very posh Carton House in Co Kildare – as well as a supposed deterioration in the relationship between then party leader Eamon Gilmore and his deputy. Both presented rictus smiles for the camera in a slightly forced show of unity.

The first two of the two-day parliamentary meetings begin today in Cork and Co Louth for Fine Gael and Sinn Féin; with Labour and Fianna Fáil gathering in Wexford and Roscommon on Monday.

Fine Gael

The Fine Gael meeting in Fota Island will be dominated by the forthcoming budget. Minister for Finance

Michael Noonan

has become the star turn at these meetings over the past few years. With the budget taking place within a month, he will be giving his colleagues an indication of his thinking with a speech this morning entitled “A Budget to Secure Ireland’s Economic Future”.

Much attention will also focus on Minister for Health Leo Varadkar's outline of his main priorities – a noted independent thinker, it is already apparent that some of his views on health spending run counter to the rubrics that have been laid down by Noonan and by Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin.

Like Fine Gael, Labour will rely on workshops and speeches largely from its own personnel, when it meets in Wexford on Monday. The meeting will be significant as it will be Joan Burton’s first as party leader and what she says to party members about strategy will be keenly anticipated. Given that the meeting is taking place in Wexford, there will be little surprise that the senior economic Minister Brendan Howlin will be the other dominant performer. He is expected to give some indication to his approach to crafting two budgets that will have a strong appeal to potential Labour voters, while remaining within fiscal targets set out for the Government.

Another big theme at the conference will be housing. The two guest speakers are Frank Daly of Nama, who will talk about its plans for residential development, as well as academic Michelle Norris from UCD who will also give a speech on housing policy.

The choice of Roscommon for Fianna Fá

il is obvious. There will be a byelection there next month and you can bet your bottom dollar its candidate – and favourite for the seat – Ivan Connaughton, will feature heavily in the media opportunities.

The party has the most varied programme with a lot of guest speakers. They include: Prof Alan Ahearne, who will be talking about the economy; Dr Tom McDonnell from the Nevin Institute, who will talk about water charges and water conservation; and Yvonne Galligan from Queen's University in Belfast who will address the meeting about gender quotas. With a requirement that 30 per cent of all candidates in the next general election are women, it will prove an onerous target for Fianna Fáil in particular.

Sinn F

éin Of the four major parties, Sinn F

éin is easily the most buoyed up facing the new Dáil session. Its major advances in both elections in May have bolstered the impression that it is a party on the rise.

Its meeting, which begins in Termonfeckin, Co Louth, today will largely focus on how it can consolidate those gains in a general election. The key speeches will be given by the two personalities who have dominated the party for more than three decades. Party leader Gerry Adams’s speech today will focus largely on the South while Martin McGuinness will concentrate on the crisis that has paralysed progress in the North.