ON THE COUCH:Prof Oliver Fitzgerald is consultant rheumatologist at St Vincent's University Hospital and chairman of Arthritis Ireland
Family/personal
Married to Louise with four children: Cormac, Barry, Gavin and Ellen.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
There are many, but I'm going to choose Padraig Harrington. I am not a golfer myself but I am a sports addict. From being labelled a "nearly" man, Padraig has learned to win. In winning, he shows consummate skill, guts and determination.
What do you regard as the top three problems facing Ireland's health system?
There is no incentive to improve service. If you do something better or cheaper, you are more likely to get less, not more. Only a scandal will get you noticed.
Secondly, the lack of willpower to improve services for people with arthritis. There has been a significant delay in publishing and implementing a national arthritis strategy.
In addition, there is a lack of funding for research and a lack of rheumatology training for medical, allied professional undergraduates, postgraduates and GPs. Finally, we have squandered the opportunities to provide greater access to medical care. In some cases, people with arthritis often have to endure long waiting lists of two years or more.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Hardback books - they just feel different.
What is your most unhealthy habit?
Working too hard.
How do you relax?
I do a little jogging, play a little tennis, read or go to the movies.
Who would you invite to your dream dinner party?
Meryl Streep.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I once was delivered a pint of Guinness and an open crab sandwich on a beach in West Cork. I could have died happy.
What trait do you most value in your friends?
Honesty and loyalty.
What talent would you most like to have?
Any talent would be gratefully accepted.
Do you use alternative/complementary medicines or therapies?
The occasional body massage is a wonderful way to relax.
What is your earliest memory?
Going to mass one Sunday with my mother and holding what I thought was her hand, as we went up the aisle. I looked up to see a little old woman beaming down on me, obviously charmed by my attentions.
What is your most treasured possession?
A little cottage in West Cork.
What other career might you have chosen?
Architecture. My daughter Ellen has just been offered a place on an architecture course, so maybe she will let me play with her drawings.
What books or films do you believe have inspired you?
It has to be The Lord of the Ringsby JRR Tolkien.
I read it to each of my children from cover to cover, and I might yet read it to my grandchildren.
• In conversation with Fiona Tyrrell