Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Ó Murchú and Smyth for raising this issue. Any loss of life through suicide is a tragedy and I do not want to class the people the Deputies have brought to the floor of the Dáil as being merely "any life". It is their life and it is their families who have been affected. Deputy Ó Murchú spoke about two individuals, from the Taaffe and Browne families, and Deputy Niamh Smyth did not mention names but referred to the age profile and gender of the individuals from her constituency. There is not a constituency in the country that has not been hit by suicide or that does not contain family members who are grieving the loss of a loved one at this moment. Deputy Smyth talked about multiple suicides in families and that is not an unusual case either, unfortunately. That grief really knocks the community so much in such a short space of time.

I have a script to hand and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, sends her apologies. She would like to have been here to answer the Deputies. I know she has spoken to Deputy Smyth in respect of Jigsaw and she told me to assure the Deputies that she is taking both requests in relation to Jigsaw on board. On the SCAN nurse and the primary care psychology support, I will also relay those issues back to Deputy Butler. I will read the script that was presented to me but I will take on board that Deputy Ó Murchú would like to know about the protocols, because that is important. It is important the protocols are not just read out here but that a meeting be convened with Deputy Butler, in conjunction with the HSE and the local community healthcare organisation, CHO, on the ground in order that there is a clear understanding around protocols and deliverable, tangible actions.

Each suicide affects not just family and friends, but the community itself. It is important to ensure that strong supports are in place to help family, friends and the community to deal with a tragedy. Protection of the vulnerable continues to be a Government priority, especially in challenging times, and those with mental health issues are often among the most vulnerable in society. Tackling suicide is an important element of this. Connecting for Life is Ireland's national strategy to reduce suicide. Although it is due to end this year, the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, intends to bring a memo to Cabinet in the next couple of weeks, recommending the extension of the strategy to 2024. Implementation of Connecting for Life has involved a cross-departmental, cross-sectoral approach, overseen by the Department of Health. The HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention, NOSP, was specifically established to co-ordinate suicide prevention efforts around the country and to implement the Connecting for Life strategy. NOSP funding has increased from €3.7 million in 2010 to the current level of €13 million and an extra €2.75 million was provided in 2015 for additional resource officers for suicide prevention and for priority actions under Connecting for Life, including in Louth, Cavan and Monaghan.

I cannot comment on individual cases other than to express my deepest sympathies to every one of them and to others listening in who have lost family members through suicide. Whether today or in the past, the grief never leaves them and I acknowledge that. In Ireland, a coroner decides whether someone has died by suicide. This is a legal decision, not a medical determination made by doctors or the HSE. The Central Statistics Office publishes national data on deaths by suicide based on coroners' findings.

A key part of Connecting for Life, CFL, is development of local CFL plans. All 17 plans have now been launched, including the Cavan and Monaghan Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2017-2020 and similar plans for Laois and Offaly; Longford and Westmeath; and Louth and Meath. The local plans were developed in collaboration with the whole community.

I am happy to bring any situations of the type raised by the Deputies to the attention of the Minister of State, Deputy Butler.

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