Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)

I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me an opportunity to raise the important issue of the level of suicide during recessionary periods.

A report appeared last week in the press about a reduction of 12.5% in the allocation by the National Office for Suicide Prevention to the voluntary organisations involved in suicide prevention and suicide bereavement. We understand there was also a cut in funding to the National Office for Suicide Prevention that will affect its work on the implementation of the recommendations of Reach Out, the recommendations of the expert group on suicide prevention and suicide issues and other reports, including A Vision for Change and the report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Suicide Prevention.

Research into suicide since the 1890s shows there is an increase in suicide rates and mental illness during times of economic recession. The Minister for Health and Children should recognise and accept this and ensure that adequate resources are available to respond to the needs that exist. We suggest that an additional €10 million should be allocated to the National Office for Suicide Prevention. It received €4.5 million in 2008 and given the cuts that are being made, it will receive less than that this year.

There is a precedent for this approach. In November 2008, the Minister for Social and Family Affairs allocated approximately €11 million in additional funding to provide for a range of marriage, child and bereavement counselling services and supports to help families to cope through the difficult times they face as a result of the recession. I have a list of the 29 organisations that received substantial support from that allocation. We urge the Minister for Health and Children to respond in a similar fashion to the challenges arising for mental health and suicide prevention services.

Economic strain and personal financial crises have been well documented as precipitating events in individual deaths by suicide. Stressful life events, financial and otherwise, have a significant impact on those vulnerable to suicide where typical coping mechanisms are compromised by the effects of mental disorder, substance abuse, acute psychiatric symptoms and the other risk factors associated with suicide. We have already seen several suicides that can be attributed to the difficulties and pressures arising from economic changes. Increasing unemployment leads to an increase in the suicide rate. Unemployment has a profound effect on a person, especially the young and those in middle age.

Irish society awards status and prestige according to a person's position and contribution to work. Correspondingly, unemployment is associated with loss of face and prestige, a lack of self-esteem and confusion and concern about the future for individuals and their families. The unemployed are six times more likely to suffer from a psychiatric disorder than those in employment. Studies show that those who die of suicide are significantly more likely to have experienced unemployment, job instability or occupational problems. The Kelleher-Daly study in Cork, conducted during the economic recession of the 1980s, showed that of the male deaths by suicide analysed in that study, two-thirds involved men who were out of work at the time of their deaths.

The high rate and threat of home foreclosure is of particular concern. For most Irish people, our homes are our primary investment and the focus of our identity. When combined with loss of employment, home loss or the threat of it, has been found to be one of the most common economic strains associated with suicides. I urge the Minister to respond immediately to the psychological, emotional and psychiatric difficulties affecting people as a result of the changed economic times.

Perhaps the Minister of State will clarify the situation. I raised this matter earlier with the Minister for Health and Children and she denied there were any cuts to the national suicide prevention office. She stated there was in excess of €2 million extra funding for suicide issues in 2009. We need clarification in that regard because there is confusion about what is available to the office. The message we have got is that there is a cut of 12.5%, but the message from the Minister is there is an increase of €2 million.

See this speech in context