In Ireland, the public healthcare system is managed by 8 regional health authorities administered by the Ministry of Health. These regional authorities take in charge health care and hospitalization related costs for people on low income.
The Republic of Ireland is divided into 30 administrative regions, mostly tied to the 26 constituent counties (county Tipperary is divided in two and county Dublin in four).
Irish tea just might be the national beverage of Ireland. Believe it or not, the Irish drink more tea per capita than any other country in the world. There are over 4 million people in Ireland and 3 million are tea drinkers. The average Irishman or Irishwoman drinks about 4 to 6 cups a day.