Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Fine Gael TD for Dún Laoghaire
Do you think you have a healthy lifestyle?
Out of 10 I’d say five. I always have the best of intentions. On Sunday evening I often make a health commitment to myself. I promise to eat well, go to bed at a reasonable hour and get a walk in daily but, generally, by Wednesday those plans are long gone down the drain. I am conscious of my unhealthy eating habits and the risk of diabetes but am always striving for a healthier existence.
How often do you exercise?
Most weeks I exercise three times. I walk Kilbogget Park in Dún Laoghaire/ Cabinteely but I must admit I am more of a fair weather exercise enthusiast.
Do you get your five a day?
Honestly if I get four out of five, it is a great day. I try to balance between fruit and vegetables and find that juices are a great way to get to five a day. There is 23 per cent VAT on fruit juices, the same as alcohol, even though there is no VAT on fruit. That’s something that needs to be looked at if we are encouraging people to be healthy.
Do you worry?
Yes, it is definitely one of my vices. I worry about my elderly parents, my brother who is blind, my two sons, my constituents and my friends. I want to do the best for people. While I love my job, it can be very demanding and I worry about letting people down.
What do you do to relax?
I like to read anything from murder mysteries to autobiographies. I find it helps calm me down and it stops me thinking about all the jobs I have left to complete. I’m reading the Boleyn Inheritance at the moment. And I have every diet book. The other books I buy consistently are cookery books.
What’s your unhealthiest habit?
It’s chocolate, Cadbury’s Dairy Milk. Late in the evening is the worst time, I might stop on my way home from the Dáil to get one to put in the fridge. I wolf it down in one go. I have inherited a sweet tooth from my mother. I blame her.
In conversation with
JOANNE HUNT
