In order to reduce the number of suicides it is essential that those undergoing life crises should get appropriate support. Expenditure on suicide prevention programmes has increased significantly in recent years. The Department has given special attention to the resourcing of suicide prevention initiatives in recent years and the level of funding being provided by it for suicide prevention is now more than 20 times what it was in 1999. It is important to bear in mind that additional funding allocated to a service in one year becomes part of the baseline funding for the service in subsequent years. Since the publication of the report of the task force on suicide in 1998, a cumulative total of over €13 million has been provided towards suicide prevention and research aimed at improving understanding of the issue.