Michelle Mulherin (Mayo, Fine Gael)

There is a terrible sense of isolation in rural Ireland, especially in Connacht, and this is reflected in the high rates of people taking there own lives, which is now compounded by the added stress and despair caused by the recession.

Since prevention is the title and point of this discussion, I commend the work and initiative of self-help groups addressing the question of social inclusion and I urge the Minister to prioritise and invest in the formation of more such groups, which create networks of support for vulnerable individuals. I am familiar with the work of such groups in my town, such as Ballina Migrant Health Forum and The Dolmen Clubhouse, which seek to bridge the gap between the vulnerable and professionals. The emphasis is on getting those affected to appropriate professional help where necessary and creating a platform for various care professionals to help train and inform local members.

I congratulate all those proactive groups around the country, many of which are born from the loss of a loved one where family and friends choose to make a stand in combating this malaise which does not discriminate across social classes. All is not lost. Aside from professional views of suicide, there is always personal loss. It takes many deaths before we become aware of what death really means. Someone said that while it ends a life, it does not destroy the relationship we had with that life - a father remains a father and a brother remains a brother, and the same applies to a sister, a friend, a lover and so on. They take something of us from the earth. So the questions as to why and the multitude of reasons given by professionals who try to make sense of the psychology of it, and by priests on the spirituality underpinning the dreadful decision that brings an individual to this very lonely and dark place, for this is an act that invariably takes place in secret - perhaps we all know this place to a certain degree - helps to comfort those left behind but it never diminishes the loss. To those left behind, we absolve them from guilt; to those contemplating it, we say, "Reach out and talk to someone". For my own part, my office will always welcome anyone seeking help.

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