Seán Kenny (Dublin North East, Labour)

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, on her appointment. I wish her every success in her new position.

Suicide is a global issue. The WHO has indicated that it is a significant public health problem worldwide and that each year more people die as a result of suicide each year than die in armed conflict. That fact places the matter in perspective. It is possible for everyone, whether inside the House or outside it, to be in a position to take steps to prevent suicide and to inform others of those steps. The key to preventing suicide is to take it seriously. I wish to outline some of the steps to which I refer in the hope that the information I will provide will be of use.

Suicidal behaviour is a cry for help. Most people have suicidal thoughts or feelings at some point in their lives. Almost all suicidal people suffer from conditions that will pass with time or with the assistance of a recovery programme. There are modest steps we can take to improve our response to those who are suicidal and to make it easier for them to seek help. It is a myth to state that people who talk about committing suicide do not do it. However, studies have found that more than 75% of all those who commit suicide did things in the weeks or months prior to their deaths to indicate to others that they were in deep despair and in need of help. Anyone who expresses suicidal feelings requires immediate attention.

It is also a myth that individuals who attempt suicide are insane. It has been stated only 10% of all suicidal people are psychotic or have delusional beliefs about reality. Most suicidal people suffer from the recognised mental illness of depression but many depressed people adequately manage their daily affairs. The absence of insanity does not mean the absence of suicide risk.

On average, a single suicide intimately affects at least six people. Sometimes people who know someone who ended their own life can say that the problems that person was experiencing were not enough to prompt him or her to commit suicide. It is a mistake for people to assume that because they may feel something is not worth feeling suicidal about that others feel the same way. It is not a matter of how bad is the problem, rather it is how badly it is hurting the person who is experiencing it.

Another myth is the suggestion that nothing can stop a person from committing suicide once he or she has made a decision to do so. An individual who is suicidal can be ambivalent. In other words, there is a partial desire to live. The other part of the person does not want death - it wants the pain to end but not necessarily to die. It is the part of the individual that wishes to live which seeks to say to another person "I feel suicidal". If a suicidal person turns to us it is likely that he or she believes that we are more caring or more informed in respect of coping with misfortune and are more willing to protect his or her confidentiality. No matter how negative the manner and content of what such a person says, he or she is doing an extremely positive thing. We should all be willing to give or receive help. In addition, we should be prepared to do so sooner rather than later.

The prevention of suicide is not something to be undertaken as a last minute activity. Text books on depression indicate that it should be reached as soon as possible. Unfortunately, individuals with suicidal tendencies can fear attempting to get help. They are concerned that help may bring them more pain and result in their being informed that they are stupid, foolish, or manipulative. These individuals may fear rejection, punishment, suspension from school or work or written records of their condition or their involuntary commitment to a psychiatric hospital being recorded.

We must do everything in our power to reduce the pain experienced by a person who is feeling suicidal, rather than increasing or prolonging it. We should give that person every opportunity to unburden himself or herself of his or her troubles and to ventilate his or her feelings. Not much needs be said and there are no magic solutions. We should not judge people. In addition, we should avoid arguments.

Yet another myth is the idea that discussing suicide may give someone the idea of committing it. Individuals at risk of suicide are already aware of the idea, particularly in light of the wide coverage relating to it in the media. People already have the idea because suicide is constantly in the news. Asking a person whether they feel suicidal is a good thing - we are showing that we care about him or her, that we take him or her seriously and that we are willing to share his or her pain and be of assistance. Persistence and patience are needed in order to seek and pursue as many options as possible to ensure that a suicidal person is able to obtain the help he or she needs.

I previously served as a member of the HSE Dublin north-east regional health forum and last year I was in attendance when Mr. Geoff Day, director of the National Office for Suicide Prevention, made a presentation to it. Mr. Day identified solutions that work in the area of suicide prevention. These include GP education, skills and problem-solving programmes, education of community gatekeepers, restriction on access to the means of suicide, treatment of mental illness, follow up after self-harm and responsible media reporting.

There is a need for better and more rigorous controls in respect of the sale of non-prescription drugs. Paracetamol is just one example of a non-prescription drug. Such controls would provide a way to restricting access to the means of committing suicide. Non-prescription drugs are freely available in shops and supermarkets and if they are mixed with alcohol they can cause accidental death, which can often be categorised as suicide. It is possible to purchase these and other life-threatening drugs on the Internet, over which it is extremely difficulty to exert control in the context of the sale of products.

I will conclude by quoting comments by President McAleese at the world congress on suicide prevention in Killarney in 2007.

Reducing suicide rates requires a collective, concerted effort from all groups in society: health, social services, other professionals, communities and community leaders, voluntary and statutory agencies and organisations, parents, friends, neighbours and individuals. It also requires the careful nurturing of a culture in which people in psychological distress don't hesitate to seek help.

I would like to express my gratitude to all the groups and organisations who help people to deal with suicide and its after effects.

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