Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)

The first step in resolving any problem is to acknowledge it. It is very important to have this debate. The interest in the debate has been an indication of the concern in all our communities. There is not a Member in the Chamber who cannot describe the impact of suicide on a community, particularly where a young person is involved.

We know young men between 18 and 24 are the most likely to commit suicide. We must bear in mind, however, that suicide is not confined to young people or one gender. Suicide does not just occur in poor economic circumstances because there was a very high rate of suicide during the better times. It is, therefore, a much more fundamental problem than might be supposed.

In 2009 in north Kildare, there was a series of tragic deaths by suicide. As it happened, the victims were mainly girls between 12 and 14. There was a complete sense of panic when the suicides occurred. There was profound sympathy for the families who were and still are coping with the tragedies. They will continue to do so. The suicides had an impact on the community. They occurred during the local election campaign, during which time we were going from door to door and could measure the precise impact. It was important for people to feel there was a measured response and that the situation was not being made worse. It is very important, therefore, that we proceed in a thoughtful and measured way.

For all the criticism the HSE, it did in other guises, put together a response. It had a health promotion day shortly after the aforementioned tragedies. I found this very useful. A group was formed on foot of the promotion day to promote mental health and minimise the risk of suicide. A youth drama project was launched that gave young people the space to articulate their emotions. Very often they feel there is no vehicle for them to do so.

I was very impressed with the north Clondalkin Community Action on Suicide group, which came to the promotion day and made an effort. It felt it gave people the space, confidence and freedom to talk, which is important.

Should it be a surprise that there is a stigma attached to suicide? One need only consider what was done in the early years of the State and prior to its foundation. People were often incarcerated, frequently by their families, when they had a breakdown. There is much work to be done to deal with stigmatisation, which is at the heart of why people are unwilling to talk about mental health issues. This must be addressed, including at community level, in a very meaningful way.

See this speech in context