Dave Hughes, deputy general secretary, Irish Nurses' Organisation
Occupation: Deputy general secretary, INO.
Personal/family: Divorced, three children - Freda (23), Irene (20), Christopher (1 year and 10 months); one grandchild - Eve. Fiancee, Angela Sheehan.
What figure from the world of medicine/health do you most admire? Liam Doran, the only visionary left in health.
What other career might you have chosen? Broadcaster.
If you were appointed Minister for Health, what would be your first priority?To increase the number of public acute and non-acute beds in the Irish health service.
Do you have a phobia/what is your greatest fear? No. Greatest fear - A&E chaos this winter and the inadequate plans to alleviate it despite persistent warnings from the INO.
Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one? Yes, on a few occasions as a child and as a teenager and I was so good they didn't want to see me go.
What three books would you bring to a desert island? The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell; The Green Fool by Patrick Kavanagh; The Book of Heroic Failures.
Have you a fail-safe method of dealing with stress? A bottle of Faustino 1 with Angela.
What is your favourite TV or radio programme? Radio - The Beautiful Game - 7.30pm on Tuesday evenings on Phoenix 92.5FM. TV - Rip Off Republic.
If you did not live in Ireland, where would you choose to spend the rest of your life? Montreal in Quebec, Canada.
Summarise yourself in 12 words. Honest, hard-working, kind, fun-loving, sociable, good sense of humour, calm and loyal.
Do you use alternative medicine/therapies? No.
Who or what makes you laugh? Traffic lights on Irish roundabouts. Kevin McAleer, Peter Sellers and Fawlty Towers.
(Interview by Dr Muiris Houston)