Máire Hoctor (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail)

Tá mé buíoch as an deis seo a labhairt ar an bhfadhb mhór chonspóideach seo, féinmharú. I welcome the opportunity to address the House on the issue of suicide, particularly in light of the recent statistics showing that north Tipperary had the distinction of the worst figures for completed self-terminations in the Republic. I share the public concern about the level of suicide nationally and welcome the earlier statement to the House by the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley. I am aware also, as laid out by the Minister, of the progress made at a national level by the Government, the health services and the voluntary sector since the national task force on suicide in 1998.

Suicide is a difficult subject for governments and health services to grapple with. One cannot legislate out of existence the diverse and complex pressures and stresses that lead people to take the drastic action of ending or attempting to end their lives. Social or economic and personal regulation by the Government cannot ever entirely hope to eradicate this phenomenon. However, the State has a duty of care to do all it can to set in place systems and procedures to guide our public servants in the general health services, mental health services, social welfare and educational sectors to best prevent self-destruction. In 2003 north Tipperary suffered twice the national average number of suicides.

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