Since the publication of the report of the national task force on suicide in 1998, there has been a positive and committed response among both the statutory and voluntary sectors towards finding ways of tackling this tragic problem. A suicide research group has been established by the chief executive officers of the health boards. Resource officers have been appointed by all health boards with specific responsibility for implementing the task force's recommendations. Additional funding of €1.110 million was provided in 2002 towards suicide prevention programmes in the health boards and towards research aimed at improving our understanding of this issue. Nationally, since 1997 over €6 million has been provided by the Department of Health and Children for suicide prevention activities.