Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I know there is limited time for these issues, but I would like to say that the figures Deputy Neville has given are simply the tip of the iceberg. Presentations to hospital emergency units are simply a reflection of the depth and scale of the difficulty. Deputy Neville will agree that when we talk about self-harm, it is not just about people who cut themselves or people who take deliberate overdoses, but also people who drink heavily on a regular basis. I commend Deputy Neville for having been speaking about this issue at a time when most of us found it uncomfortable to do so. I commend him on his work in this area down through the years.

The misuse of alcohol has long been recognised as a contributing factor in many suicides. Our national strategy for action on suicide prevention, Reach Out, recognises that alcohol and substance misuse are strongly related to deliberate self-harm and suicidal behaviour. The Government recognises that we can no longer be tolerant or ambivalent when it comes to the pattern of alcohol consumption and the problems for which alcohol is responsible. A survey on alcohol consumption and alcohol-related harm in Ireland, which was published last year, found that alcohol-related harm is not restricted to the drinker but has negative consequences for families, friends and the wider community. Approximately 20% of respondents experienced some form of harm as a result of their drinking, with men twice as likely as women to report harm. Harm of others as a result of drinking was experienced by 27% of respondents.

In order to counteract the harm caused by the use and misuse of alcohol, real and tangible proposals are being finalised on foot of the recommendations in the national substance misuse strategy report, which was published last year. These proposals cover all the areas mentioned in the report, including legislation on minimum unit pricing, which is about setting a statutory floor price per gram of alcohol. There are also proposals relating to access to and availability of alcohol, including structural separation in retail units where alcohol is sold, as well as advertising and sponsorship. Following consideration by the Cabinet committee on social policy and liaison with other Departments, my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy White, intends to introduce specific proposals for consideration by the Government as soon as possible.

Suicide is a tragedy that we are constantly working to prevent. We are also working to give more support to families affected by suicide. Reach Out makes a number of recommendations with regard to fast-track referrals to community-based mental health services, effective responses to incidents of deliberate self-harm, training and stigma reduction, etc. As a consequence, the HSE's National Office for Suicide Prevention has developed a range of initiatives to support people who are suicidal. The office is also working to help the families, friends and peers of such people to recognise and respond appropriately to signs of emotional distress and suicidal thoughts. In 2012, the office made progress with a number of key initiatives, including the provision of a wide range of awareness and training programmes, the continuation of the national awareness campaigns, the funding of partner agencies and projects and the development of the recently launched guidance for post-primary schools on mental health and suicide prevention, which were developed with the Department of Education and Skills.

The annual budget for suicide prevention increased this year to over €13 million, with €8.1 million available to the National Office for Suicide Prevention to fund voluntary and statutory agencies' delivery of services in the areas of prevention, intervention, post-intervention and research. The remaining €5 million is available regionally to fund resource officers for suicide prevention, self-harm liaison nurses in hospital emergency departments and local suicide prevention initiatives. The office is working to integrate current programmes within the sector and to provide a strategic framework for co-ordination of the extensive range of actions in this area.

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