After lengthy government formation talks and a chaotic first week in the Dáil, the new Government is finally settling into it's first few weeks of a new term. There’s a whole host of new faces in Leinster House, including 10 new women TDs. We wanted to hear what life is like for three of those women, so we’ve invited Labour’s Marie Sherlock, Fianna Fail’s Erin McGreehan and Social Democrats’ Jen Cummins to tell us their first impressions of the Dáil, their background in politics and what issues they’ll be focusing on in their term.

But first, Irish Times reporter Niamh Towey is here to discuss some of the stories making the headlines this week including the results of a new survey which found an “alarming” incidence of rooms being advertised in exchange for sex, the decision to grant planning permission to rebuild Creeslough service station and the long fight for justice for murdered backpacker Danielle McLaughlin.

Email for International Women's Day live event entries: thewomenspodcast@irishtimes.com

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