Geoff Day:Director of the National Office of
Suicide Prevention.
Personal/family:I live in south Dublin with my
partner Liz. I have two grown-up children, Michael and Lorna.
What figure from the world of medicine or health do you most admire?
Aneurin Bevan who had the vision to establish the national health service (NHS) in the UK.
What other career might you have chosen?
As a boy I wanted to be a steam-train driver but sadly all the trains were scrapped and so I had to become a social worker.
If you could grant three wishes for the health service, what would they be?
I would put more emphasis on preventative medicine and social care, invest in modern mental health service and establish a properly funded service in hospitals and community for those who self-harm.
What is your greatest fear?
I have a fear of heights, but I love the view from the top.
Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one?
I ruptured my Achilles' tendon and was in a full leg plaster for three months. My family and friends said I was unbearable.
When or where are you happiest?
Travelling abroad with family and friends.
How do you cope with stress?
Listen to my children making music or hacking my way around the golf course.
What is the trait you most admire in yourself?
My sense of fairness and justice.
What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?
My inability to multi-task.
Do you use alternative or complementary medicine or therapies?
I have never used them but would if they helped.
Who or what makes you laugh?
Spending time with old friends talking about things we did in the past.
What is your motto?
Embrace change - it sometimes throws up exciting and challenging opportunities, like my move to Ireland 10 years ago.
What is your favourite TV or radio programme?
Saturday afternoon TV sport.
What books would you bring to a desert island?
Chambers dictionary of quotations, Confederacy of Dunces and Thomas Cook's European rail timetable so I could plan my next holiday.
In conversation with Fiona Tyrrell