Jim Daly (Cork South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I acknowledge that the Deputy and his party always co-operate and take a positive approach to mental health issues. I have never found Members of the Deputy's party to be partisan or politically opportunistic in any shape or form regarding mental health. I include his party leader, Deputy McDonald, and Deputy Buckley in that. They have always been very constructive and co-operative.

I wish to raise a couple of issues concerning the Deputy's query, which concerns Tullamore. I am informed by the HSE that it does not have any record of an application for funding from SOSAD in Tullamore. My Department officials have made contact with SOSAD since the Deputy raised this issue in order to advise it that there are two ways to apply for funding. SOSAD Tullamore has been in existence for five years. The HSE is aware of its existence but does not have any record of any funding application from the charity. There are two avenues for an organisation such as SOSAD to apply for funding to the HSE. Both would be on the HSE website. One involves a section 38 or section 39 funding application. This would be the most substantial. There is also national lottery funding, administered by the HSE. It is available in small amounts. The application forms for both processes are available on the HSE website. My officials have made contact with SOSAD to advise it on both avenues but the HSE has informed me it has not received any application for funding to date from the organisation.

I acknowledge the bona fides of the organisation, which the Deputy has mentioned. I absolutely accept them. I appreciate the work that organisations such as SOSAD do. Effectively, they fill the gaps where they exist. Organisations such as SOSAD are organic, ground-up organisations. They do a power of work, particularly in such a sensitive and important area. We have the National Office for Suicide Prevention, the funding for which, I am glad to report, is increasing exponentially year on year. That funding stands at approximately €12 million per year. A total of 17 local Connecting For Life plans have been developed throughout the country and 15 have been launched. I am launching the sixteenth on 16 October in Kilkenny. There will be only one left to launch, namely, a localised plan whereby all the agencies will come together to combine their efforts to work towards the prevention of suicide. While one life lost to suicide is one too many, I am thankful that the number of lives being lost to suicide has been decreasing significantly year on year recently. We are having some success but I assure the Deputy that this does not encourage complacency on my part or that of my officials, or in the HSE or the National Office of Suicide Prevention. I welcome any opportunity discuss mental health issues, particularly those relating to suicide prevention. I thank the Deputy for his interest and for his contribution.

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