ON THE COUCH:Mary Bowen is a special projects manager with the Irish Hospice Foundation
Family/personal:
I have recently moved back to Ireland from Britain and am in a relationship with Phil.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
I have huge admiration for the doctors, nurses and other ground staff who are doing their best to deliver high-quality care in difficult circumstances. In particular I admire those who care for patients near the end of life in busy acute hospitals.
What do you regard as the top three problems facing Ireland's health system?
The health service has many challenges - the key ones I see regularly are the need for all patients (and not just those with cancer) to be cared for and die at home. Secondly, the need to ensure privacy and dignity to all patients, particularly those who are dying in our acute and non-acute hospitals.
Finally, we need to deliver services that are truly patient centred. Patients and families have to be at the heart of everything we do - a good test is to ask is "would this be good enough for me or my loved ones?".
What is your greatest extravagance?
Emer, my 19-year-old BMW E30 - it costs me a fortune to maintain.
What is your most unhealthy habit?
I never seem to be able to get enough sleep and I find getting up in the morning a real struggle.
How do you relax?
Exercise and hot showers.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Jim Morrison - then I'd know if he is alive.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Cheese. My current favourite is Comté, a French hard cheese.
What trait do you most value in your friends?
Loyalty and a good sense of fun.
What talent would you most like to have?
I would love to be able to un-jam photocopiers.
Do you use alternative/ complementary medicines or therapies?
Yes, I try lots. In the past I have tried Reiki and massage, but with my tendency to drift off it often works out as an expensive sleep.
What is your earliest memory?
My earliest memory is of the day I made my first holy communion and dropped the Eucharist. In a state of panic I ran away and was later scolded for leaving the body of Christ on the floor.
What is your most treasured possession?
My job. Given the current economic climate, I feel lucky to have a job that I love and to work with very talented and passionate people.
What other career might you have chosen?
I'd love to have been a philanthropist, but sadly can't afford it.
What books or films have inspired you?
Shirley du Boulay's biography of Cicely Saunders is a book I dip into regularly. Dame Cicely Saunders is a truly radical person who brought enormous change to the care of patients and their families at the end of life.
• In conversation with Fiona Tyrrell