Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)

I welcome the opportunity to speak on this report. I was a member of the sub-committee that produced the report and I would like to see action on it. Suicide is a very difficult subject and is difficult to address. There are approximately 450 suicides per annum and 11,000 attempted suicides. It is a major challenge for society. Some studies suggest that suicide is under-reported by about 16%. There is an economic and human cost to suicide at a direct and indirect level. Suicide costs about 0.5% of the country's GNP, 72% of which is in human terms and 28% of which is due to loss of production. Each suicide costs around €1.5 million, which is a crude way to measure it.

We do not really know why people commit suicide, but we know that some are in high risk categories and groups. It is known that certain factors are associated with suicide and all speakers have referred to alcohol and drugs. The 1990s saw a 41% increase in alcohol consumption and a 44% increase in suicide. This shows the direct link between alcohol and suicide. It is strange to see there has been no corresponding increase in mental illness so suicide is not directly linked to mental illness either.

Ireland has experienced an economic boom since the 1990s. We have become caught up in the fast lane and as a result of the Celtic tiger we have succumbed to the relatively recent vices of consumerism and materialism. We have lost touch with each other and we have lost our interpersonal skills. I appeal to people to talk and to share the problem. So many distraught relatives are left wondering why they did not pick up on the symptoms and why they missed the signs. Distraught parents are often left wondering how they missed the signs and why their child did not share their thoughts with them. Professional help is available. I appeal to anyone suffering from suicidal ideation to share their thoughts with somebody they trust who could direct them towards professional help.

I appeal to the Health Service Executive to address the shortage of counsellors. Many obstacles are put in the way of people looking for help. I appeal to senior people in the health service to facilitate staff who wish to train as counsellors. Many workers such as nurses have front line experience in the delivery of health care and such people should be encouraged to take an active part in society.

A seminar on suicide was held recently in Dromahair, County Leitrim and the hall was packed. The VEC and the local health services joined together to host a seminar in Monaghan town and again we were playing to a packed house. Suicide is one of the biggest killers of young people, particularly young men. Parents are almost afraid to look sideways at their children yet every so often they are accused of tossing material goods at children as if they are buying their affection. It is wrong to accuse parents because this is part of the society in which we live; it is like blaming electricity for our ills. Society moves forward, we are a consumer society and we must learn to adapt to this society. It can be frustrating for parents to be accused of being over-materialistic, not being caring enough or not giving time to people.

I appeal to young people, in particular young males. They find it very difficult to share their thoughts with other people. Young girls are better communicators and they communicate with each other. They will express their feelings to each other and this takes them out of a quandary. If a problem is shared then it is halved. Because of male ego, young guys will not share their thoughts and they will not talk. This is one of the reasons for the high incidence of suicide among young males.

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