ON THE COUCHJoe T Mooney is director of Muscular Dystrophy Ireland
Personal/family:
Married to Ashling.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
Nelson Mandela and researchers who are working on a cure or treatment for muscular dystrophy.
What do you regard as the top three problems facing Ireland's health system?
Lack of funding, lack of professional healthcare personnel and the need for a strengthened management structure.
What is your greatest extravagance?
A 44-inch television.
What is your most unhealthy habit?
Smoking.
How do you relax?
I watch TV and I like to listen to music.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Bono, Nelson Mandela, Andrea Corr and Miriam O'Callaghan.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Walking on accessible beach in Donegal on a fine day.
What trait do you most value in your friends?
Honesty and sincerity.
What talent would you most like to have?
To be able to sing.
Do you use alternative/ complementary medicines or therapies?
Yes, my wife is an aromatherapist.
What is your earliest memory?
I remember playing with my school friends in a country school in Culdaff, Co Donegal.
What is your most treasured possession?
My mobile phone.
What other career might you have chosen?
I had often thought of a career in politics or PR.
What books or films have inspired you?
My Left Foot by Christy Brown.;