Maurice Hayes (Independent)

I thank the Minister of State for his contribution. I appreciate his manifest interest in this subject and his dedication to it.

I will not go over the points so ably made by other Senators, but I was struck by what Senator Brian Hayes said about the profound nature of the identity crisis being undergone by men in society and the multifaceted nature of the problem, which requires a wide range of responses. An enormous number of people are adrift at sea in the dark night. Will they seek help? All we can do is have enough people on the shore ready to throw them life-belts. This implies a wide range of responses, but also that help needs to be relatively near and accessible.

We should look at the gateways people use to access help. I know times are difficult and there is competition for funding, etc., but the development of a community psychiatric service is fundamental. It should be easier for people to gain access to their GPs. There are many voluntary and community organisations working in this field and I am glad to see that the Minister of State is encouraging and supporting them. I also commend the work of Deputy Dan Neville and the Irish Association of Suicidology, which is currently chaired by my friend, Professor McClelland, from Queen's University Belfast. This is a problem which encompasses the entire island and it is important that steps are taken, as is already the case in the health education field, to enable an all-island approach.

We need to deal with the culture of alcohol, around which so many other health and social problems cluster. It would be helpful if we could deal with the way the media reports these matters, for example through talking to editors. Reporting, particularly on the local newspapers, may open up the possibility of copycat suicides or clustering because events such as suicides are tremendously shattering in a small town or area. I also support those Senators who spoke of the importance of help for the families of suicide victims. Suicide is shattering for a family and remains with them for a long time. We also need to ensure that those who have attempted suicide receive help.