Clare Daly (Dublin North, Socialist Party)

I want to make some brief remarks. Like other Deputies I, too, appreciate the opportunity to discuss this important issue. It is appropriate that the House has spent so much time on it because a discussion must take place in society and awareness be raised about these issues. That is important, but the discussion must be purposeful and have an outcome. In that sense, regarding some of the remarks made by some of the Government spokespersons in particular, cognisance should be taken of the fact that they are the Deputies who are in power. It is their Government that has the ability to implement measures which can make the difference in terms of dealing with some of these issues which have blighted so many lives and which are a growing problem in the country.

The point was made during the debate about the way road traffic deaths are treated and the funding that is allocated to that area compared to the lack of funding for suicide prevention, given that suicide results in many more deaths than those from road traffic accidents. That is true. It is the case that advice and investment in trying to reduce road traffic accidents has developed here, and we must do something similar in regard to suicide.

Removing the stigma is important. There is a value even in discussing the issues. That is important, but it must be linked to the overall position of funding from a number of aspects. Mental health is an area that must be invested in and the question of overall funding must be dealt with because it is inadequate. There must be implementation of A Vision for Change. There must be a development of community-based services but to be honest, we must not laud an expenditure of €35 million as being enough. It is not nearly enough. It is hardly five euro per person. We need resources to back up the services that are necessary but the reality is that we are moving in the opposite direction. The implementation of severe cutbacks in health, education, social welfare, public sector recruitment and so on will succeed in having a negative impact on dealing with the current suicide problems. It is not good enough to just talk about the problem. We must implement measures that assist in dealing with it.

It is obvious that suicide is a growing problem in Ireland. That that the only dedicated suicide helpline does not get any funding is a poor indication of our approach. That organisation takes thousands of calls every month. On average, it takes 100 calls a day. It is an indication of the scale of desperation people are experiencing that 100 people make the call. How many more hundreds are thinking about it but do not know that the resources are available or that they can access them? Promoting these helplines and the resources available, albeit limited, is important.

There is no doubt that the rising suicide figures are linked to the economic downturn and the devastation being experienced by many people throughout this country. As Deputy Halligan said, this is not just a problem of mental health. For many people suicide is a rational decision on the part of the people who make it. The scale of their problems, be it some personal catastrophe or a severe economic crisis which they see no way out of, leads them to believe that is the only way out for them.

The cases of suicide among taxi drivers was well highlighted by the taxi drivers' unions. Many taxi drivers took their own lives because economically they were pauperised as a result of decisions that were made including the freeing up of licences. These people were on the road from morning to evening without being able to eke out any sort of a wage for themselves or their families. The problem of their mortgages was getting on top of them, and if they give back their taxi plate they are not entitled to any social welfare payment because they were self-employed. That is severe pressure to put on anybody's shoulder. They cannot see a way out because we have not given them a way out, and economic policies have not been put in place which deliver for those people a standard of living that enables them to keep a roof over their heads and provide for their families. Unless we address these issues we will have a continuation of the problems.

The key problem is for the people left behind after suicide and the questions people ask such as "What could I have done? Could I have intervened if I had known the severity of the problems? Was there something I could have done that would have made a difference in terms of the decision the person made to take their own life?". We must avoid the situation where those questions have to be asked. Everybody needs to know where they can access the support that is available. The problem is that there is not enough support available and people do not know about the support that is available. If this debate assists in that regard, it is welcome but it is not enough on its own. There must be a massive investment in education and in personal development for our young people in the existing health services.

Crucially, this debate is linked to the overall economic position facing ordinary people because as a result of the policies being pursued and the fact that taxpayers' money is being poured in to bail out the banks and so on, our services are being cut and people's livelihoods being devastated. Unless we invest in people's social, personal and overall economic well-being, we will be returning to these issues and finding that the position has not altered at all, rather worsened.

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