Fergus Finlay: Our public services are far from perfect, but we are lucky to have them

We’re lucky to have the commitment and quality of our own public services and the thousands of people who make them work

The Irish health service is extraordinary. You meet calm, efficient people who clearly know what they’re about. File picture

Maybe it’s the time of year. The weather is definitely turning for the better. Slowly, for sure, but it’s getting there. We’ve spent the weekend with great people who have been friends for a lifetime, and it reminds you yet again that old friends are best.

I’m typing this in a room with a picture window that captures a perfect view of the River Nore. It’s a river that can be threatening enough in the winter when flood waters bring it uncomfortably close to our friends’ cottage. But today it’s like glass.