Michael Tighe,President of the Irish Hard of Hearing Association (IHHA).
Family:Married to Marie with three children - Richard (18), Catherine (17) and Patrick (13).
What figure in the world of medicine or health do you most admire?
No names. I have a very high regard for pioneering researchers who find solutions where there was none and doctors and nurses who see patient care as all that counts.
What other career might you have chosen?
Professional golfer. However, I may have needed some supplementary income.
If you could grant three wishes for the health service, what would they be?
Greater integration of services between GPs, hospital consultants and rehabilitation agencies for people with long-term illnesses or disabilities. Separate public and private systems rather than the mess we have and more emphasis on prevention.
What is your greatest fear?
A serious accident in the family leaving one of us helpless and needing full-time care.
Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one?
Yes, several times. I think I was a good patient but others might not agree.
When or where are you happiest?
Short family breaks. Talking, walking, eating and relaxing.
How do you cope with stress?
Not very well but a few holes of golf usually help.
What is the trait you most admire in yourself?
I like to think I'm honest and sincere, but not too serious.
What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?
I'm impulsive, often buying things I don't need and repeating mistakes made in the past.
Do you use alternative or complementary medicine or therapies?
Not myself. However, I'm happy with people choosing complementary medicine in addition to conventional medicine.
Who or what makes you laugh?
Watching somebody trying to bluff him or herself out of a difficult situation which is of their own doing.
What is your motto?
Keep things simple and let others worry about the bigger issues in life.
What is your favourite TV or radio programme?
I have not been able to follow radio since David Hanley and David Davin-Power were on Morning Ireland (I have had poor hearing almost all my life and have been severely hard of hearing since the late 1980s). I miss the distraction of radio.
On TV, I love good live sporting occasions such as Federer v Nadal or Dublin v Kerry. There has been a big improvement in subtitling on RTÉ over the past few years and it means people with a hearing loss can enjoy TV.
What books would you bring to a desert island?
Thrillers by Patricia Cornwell, James Patterson, Robert Grisham, Dan Brown - something to take my mind away from the real world.