Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The new framework being developed by the National Office for Suicide Prevention should provide for a specific examination of youth suicide among both males and females. It is important to note that funding for the office has doubled from €4 million to €8 million.

I understand the Government is allocating an extra €1 million this year. However, the service is still under-resourced and needs further investment to allow it to have a greater impact on the whole area of suicide, including on research, prevention and postvention.

I accept that increases in resources must be made on a phased basis to allow development to take place in an orderly fashion. However, it should be borne in mind that comparisons are often made between resources provided to the National Roads Authority, at over €30 million, and those provided to the National Office for Suicide Prevention, approximately €9 million now. Some 600 people die by suicide each year, while fewer than 200 - although it is too many - die as a result of road accidents. I support ongoing and further support to the Road Safety Authority to continue its excellent work. Its great success should be a template for suicide reduction, although we know that suicide prevention is totally different. There is little similarity between preventing accidents and preventing suicide, which is a highly complex area in the context of what brings people to take their lives and the consequences of the tragedy for the bereaved. The factors surrounding suicide are very different. The expertise exists nationally and internationally and is available to us to impart through any programmes the National Office for Suicide Prevention develops in all areas. I urge the Government to continue to develop the office by ensuring that the resources required are made available.

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