Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)

I thank the Government for making time available for a discussion of this sensitive and disturbing issue which affects all strands of society, different communities and the families therein. For many years suicide, mental illness and mental health issues were not prioritised by Government. The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Many people wanted to do the right thing but, when priorities came to be decided upon, strategies to deal with mental health issues and suicide were put on the back foot.

The statistics speak for themselves in terms of the extent of the problem for our society. We must get the message across that such a high incidence of suicide is unacceptable and that suicide is preventable. The National Office for Suicide Prevention is to be commended on the work it does on a limited budget. It has a fraction of the resources of the Road Safety Authority, for example, even though the statistics for accredited deaths in road deaths are very similar, if not slightly lower, than those by suicide. With limited resources the National Office for Suicide Prevention and, to some extent, the Health Service Executive are doing worthwhile work.

Several fundamentals must be taken on board in terms of how we deal with suicide in the future. Above all, the response must be based completely on community services. It is no longer acceptable to focus merely on the symptoms of the problem, dealing with individual cases in isolation. The reasons that people contemplate, try or succeed in suicide are multiple, but are not being addressed in a comprehensive way. For instance, I know of children in residential care who come from family backgrounds where there are multiple and serious problems. When they reach the age of 18 the State no longer has any duty of care to these young people or responsibility for their well-being. I understand the Government is considering legislative provisions whereby the State will be mandated to maintain responsibility for young people in its care beyond the age of 18. These people often have a host of problems which may manifest in a desire for or attempt at suicide.

It is important to note that financial worries are a cause for concern in this area. In the farming community, for example, the number of suicides increased from 24 to 33 between 2008 and 2009. Given that 2009 was the first of several years of significant economic hardship it seems safe to conclude that financial pressures were a contributing factor in the increase.

See this speech in context