Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

I thank Members of the House who have taken an interest in the issue, in particular Deputy Neville, who has been very helpful to me with good advice on how to approach this problem in my own constituency. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, for his unstinting support for me and the area I represent at a time when we had a cluster of suicides earlier this year which I thought, frankly, would never end. Without the concerted help of his Department, I am not sure we would have been able to bring together a strategy which it is hoped will make a difference.

Earlier this year, in a part of my constituency of Dublin North-West, over half the bereavements at one stage were as a result of suicide. These were, by and large, young male suicides, some of whom I knew and whose families I know. One of the most harrowing and frightening experiences anyone can have is to get a telephone call about a death. However, getting a telephone call to say the body of one's son has been found hanging from a tree in a field in the middle of nowhere and wondering what drove that favourite son, who seemed to be perfectly well adjusted but for some reason took his own life, is particularly harrowing. That tragedy continues.

In the case of devastating tragedy, it is an appalling indictment of our system that it takes so long for an inquest to be carried out and for a coroner's report to be presented. Some families have small insurance policies on their children in order to pay funeral expenses. I recently heard of a strategy used by at least two insurance companies whereby a policy claim is refused until the family produces, not a death certificate or a coroner's report but a letter from a general practitioner to confirm that the deceased person was never prescribed medication for depression. This is appalling behaviour on the part of insurance companies and it should stop. When I intervened with an insurance company on behalf of one such family I was told to clear off and mind my own business. I was simply advocating on behalf of the family who had waited just short of a year for a coroner's decision and were then being put through the further harrowing experience of having to crawl to have their just entitlement paid to them.

Earlier this year I had a long involvement in helping the families of two young women who had been engaged, from time to time, in acts of self-harm. In these cases I found the psychiatric services wanting. Young adolescents are falling between the cracks of childhood and adult psychiatry. This observation is made in the report and has been made elsewhere. The issue was raised at a briefing meeting with the HSE some time ago and a commitment was made by HSE officials to provide a seamless delivery of psychiatric services for troubled teenagers. This needs to be done sooner rather than later.

Tragedy by suicide is probably the most appalling of all. It leaves a lasting pain, anguish and sometimes anger which affects a family and an entire community. Some communities and some authorities are more resilient than others. I agree with Deputy Stanton when he refers to a lack of facilities. However, in my constituency we have put in place physical facilities such as youth centres, playgrounds and after-school services and other facilities such as youth workers and counsellors. Despite this, we still have a huge level of suicide. The report refers to the need for joined-up thinking in this regard.

There seems to be an ever-increasing level of suicide, although statistics show it is not as high as some of us perceive it to be because suicides occur in clusters. Whatever the figures, they would be shocking even if they were only half what they are. The fact that four times as many men as women died by suicide in 2003 is alarming. There is a statistical link between unemployment and suicide, especially in young men. However, I have found that many young men who are working or on training programmes also have fallen victim to suicide. Research shows that suicide rates are concentrated in the lowest social class where they are four times as high as in the high earning brackets. However, we may need to confront this statistic. There is now evidence that, irrespective of income bracket, one is likely to be confronted by the issue of suicide. In 2003, 30% of all deaths in the 15 to 24 age group were recorded as suicide. In the 25 to 34 age group the figure was 23%. Ireland has the second highest youth suicide rate of the 30 OECD countries. We need to make a targeted response, and many communities are doing this.

Psychiatric disorders or addiction problems are present in 90% of people who take their own lives. Earlier this morning, I had a meeting with the Finglas addiction support team, which is part of a network of people in the Finglas area who are putting together strategies to support families who must confront issues relating to alcohol and drug misuse. Availability of alcohol to young people and the ever-increasing availability of drugs of one kind or another are important factors. This morning I was told that one of the greatest worries youth workers in my area have is the easy availability of cocaine and the even easier availability of benzodiazepines mixed with alcohol, which is a lethal concoction. I ask the Minister of State to consider how further restrictions can be placed on the availability of medicines over the counter. There is anecdotal evidence that significant amounts of benzodiazepines make their way into Ireland in the luggage of people coming back from holidays in Spain and elsewhere, where they can be bought cheaply over the counter. If something can be done about this problem in our jurisdiction we should do it.

Deputy Ó Snodaigh referred to the availability of alcohol. Any of us who has experience of working with young people, whether in formal education or otherwise, knows that alcohol is available to young people at whatever age they want it. Parents have a greater responsibility than some of them care to admit to engage in alcohol education in the home. I do not advocate a young person having his or her first couple of glasses of wine around the family dinner table at the age of 13 or 14 years. That does little for alcohol awareness. I am a believer in the identity card system and the Garda watch card, which unfortunately can be too easily copied or ignored by unscrupulous operators of off-licences. I pay tribute to some larger supermarkets which operate a strict regime with regard to supplying alcohol to minors. However, in many years working in this area I have seen much evidence to suggest independent off-licence operators are less scrupulous in their insistence on identification being produced.

I referred to the need for continuing adolescent psychiatric support. I welcome the Government's initiative, as outlined by the Minister of State, Deputy Tim O'Malley, to establish liaison officers in each HSE area. There is no doubt that they are making a difference. As well as working within their own statutory remit, they can network with, for example, the Bethany bereavement groups which are providing a really good service. I have had some contact with Console, an organisation for which I have the greatest regard and which was instrumental in establishing the Finglas suicide network. I thank Dublin City Council and other local authorities which have allocated local facilities for such organisations, including a drop-in centre. Prevention is better than cure.

Listening is more important than talking to those who are at risk of suicide. The more trained people who are available to listen the better things will be. I commend the report, as well as the Minister and the HSE for the initiatives they have taken.

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