John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)

I propose to share time with Deputy Clare Daly. Sometimes we are damned with statistics when they are put in front of us but statistics are important on the serious issue of the severity of suicide in Ireland. The latest statistics show we have the highest recorded rate in our history. This amounted to 527 deaths in 2009, representing an increase of over 4%. Anecdotal evidence suggests the figures in Ireland continue to rise. Some 127 deaths from suicide were registered with the CSO in the second quarter of 2010 and the increase is mainly in men in the middle age category. Many experts throughout Europe have said there is a sharp rise in people taking their own lives and self-harming over the past year and that this is linked to the recession. The term recession depression has emerged. International research indicates that during an economic downturn, suicide numbers increase markedly. Since the economic crisis occurred in Ireland, there is a clear spike in deaths among people between 25 and 44 years of age. Social welfare cuts, cuts to invalidity pensions and disability payments hit the vulnerable sections of society disproportionately. The incidence of suicide is at its highest in these sections. As mayor of Waterford, I addressed a conference in Waterford on taking the stigma out of mental health.

The statistics were startling, showing that between 300,000 and 400,000 people were presenting with problems, from mild to medium to severe depression and many of those presenting to a general practitioner felt suicidal at one stage. In Ireland, suicide has become the principal cause of death of men between the age of 15 and 34. Ireland now has the fourth highest rate of suicide among young men in the EU, behind Lithuania, Finland and Estonia.

Successive Governments have displayed a distinct lack of urgency in dealing with this problem. The budget in 2010 was €5.6 million, which is a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed. The HSE moratorium on recruitment had a devastating impact on an overstretched health service. Over 700 members of staff left mental health care services from 2009 and only 65 were replaced. That had a major impact on the suicide rate. Incredibly, more lives are lost to suicide than to road tragedies. However, the budget to reduce road traffic deaths is almost eight times the budget dealing with suicide.

The Government and Opposition parties should examine a case study. Scotland had one of the highest rates of suicide but has managed to reduce significantly the number of people taking their own lives by spending €25 million on preventative services. This shows that resources and allocating money into prevention can reduce the number of people taking their lives. Scotland has been internationally recognised for its "Choose Life" programme and the education and awareness programme called "see me". It is internationally recognised that Scotland was able to reduce a high rate of suicide. Statistics from Scotland show that 600 people took their lives last year, of whom 450 were men. This was reduced by 87, which is almost a quarter. This is attributed to the resources and services available. Officers trained to deal with suicide intervention have been employed in every local authority in Scotland. They reduced the suicide rate and the number of people presenting themselves with mental health problems. This has reduced the amount spent on health and mental health services and the prevention of suicide in Scotland. The budget can be reduced because the death rate and the number of people presenting with mental health problems is reducing.

The causes of suicide are multifaceted and complex. Some argue it is a fundamental human right to take one's own life. That is a worthwhile debate. However, for most people, suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping with pain. These are not my words, although I would like them to have been. This is a matter of resources. I urge the Government to examine the case history of Scotland. A small amount of money out of a substantial budget has helped to reduce the suicide rate. I passionately urge the Government to deal with this point. Let us consider the number of people dying from suicide compared to road accidents, given the amount of money spent. It is only right that we should put substantial amounts of money towards reducing the number of deaths on our roads but if we put half the amount of money into suicide prevention, going by the Scottish example, we could at least reduce the number of deaths by one third.

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