Timmy Dooley (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister of State to this House. He has shown a phenomenal capacity on the issues associated with suicide and has been to the fore on many of the previous initiatives taken by the Government. I look forward to the national strategy for action on suicide prevention, which is due in September and in which I have no doubt the Minister of State will have a strong input. It will be necessary that funding be provided to ensure that services are delivered in line with needs.

I am pleased that we are holding this debate because I was among those calling for it last week. It is important that we are holding discussions on this issue. It is also welcome that the non-partisan approach being taken belies last weekend's media comments which sought to indicate that a political dimension existed. This matter is one of people elected to public office taking their responsibilities seriously by highlighting an issue and ensuring their discussions will contribute to Government policy. This is why we are elected. We are criticised by the media for spending time on local council work rather than acting as national legislators. We have been criticised over this issue, despite its importance in terms of national debate and policy formulation. I give little credence to these criticisms and am happy to address the issue. I have my own view of some aspects of media comment, which Senator Minihan has ably addressed.

The statistics are staggering but, as they have already been discussed, I will not further elaborate on them. It is clear that suicide has a devastating effect on families and drains the lifeblood of the villages and towns. I doubt that this issue will be resolved within the present generation of these communities, which are being destroyed. Ongoing attention and regular reviews of policy are required to ensure best practice is brought to bear. While I do not think a solution will ever be found, best efforts must be made to alleviate the problem and develop means of coping.

The Minister of State has identified target groups which include young males in particular. We are all familiar with this problem. However, it is critical that the strategy sets a clear path to a resolution of the existing high rate of suicide. I do not like to use the word "epidemic" in the context of this issue.

Senator Browne made comparisons with the road safety strategy. We frequently discuss road safety but comparatively higher numbers are affected by suicide. It is important the type of strategies set out in regard to road safety are mirrored in the strategy document the Minister of State will bring forward. We must set targets for a reduction in the number of suicides, identify ways to reach these targets and ensure action on the ways identified.

More funding is obviously needed and early intervention has been spoken about, particularly with target groups. A co-ordinated approach is important. Myriad organisations have various responsibilities. Those organisations should be co-ordinated and, hopefully, that can be done when the strategy is brought forward.

Senator Cummins made similar points to those I wish to make. People have been left behind by the Celtic tiger and the growth in the economy. Other Senators, including Senator Ryan, spoke about people feeling useless and worthless in terms of achievement. As a society, we must try to be more careful about what we place value on, how we define worth and how we deal with people who, for one reason or another, are not as motivated or as interested in the points race for college places and in achieving personal wealth or possessions. The most difficult thing will be to try to change how we value people and their contribution to society, which should not be based on their bank accounts, the size or make of their car, their educational qualifications or otherwise. Those are some of the reasons people initially stray from their career path and feel their contribution to society is somewhat less valuable than that of others who appear to achieve more in terms of personal gain or wealth, which can often lead to mental health difficulties and, in many cases, suicide. That is an issue which must be addressed.

By and large, the media have been extremely responsible in the way they have reported suicides, particularly in cases where there is a concern about the copycat effect which has occurred in a number of towns and villages in rural Ireland. The media have been careful in how such cases are reported and in ensuring they do not add, in any way, to the suffering of the families or in informing other people about what happened thereby affecting them further. This policy has been breached in a recent case, although I do not wish to add to the suffering of a family in the south whose son took part in an assisted suicide in Switzerland. The case has been very well documented in the print media and on radio and television. I think a line was crossed. I do not wish to blame the media as I am sure the people who made those editorial decisions did so with the best of intentions. However, I think it was a step too far and has created great difficulty not only for the family but for many others.

The case highlighted the enormous difficulties faced by people who suffer from particular illnesses which, in this instance, was multiple sclerosis. I have tremendous respect for Marion Finucane who has performed a hugely important role over the years as a public broadcaster and has informed debate in so many areas. While I am not apportioning blame to her in this case, I think her programme created more problems than it solved, particularly for people suffering from and recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. It put forward the life story of an individual who suffered from an extreme form of multiple sclerosis and who decided for his own reasons that the only way he could die with dignity was to take his own life through an assisted suicide. This has created enormous difficulty not only for the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland but for many people who suffer from the disease. I put on record that the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland is my nominating body for the Seanad election. I am familiar with the tremendous work it does and with many of the difficulties its field operatives have faced as a result of this case.

An organisation such as the Multiple Sclerosis Society of Ireland should receive greater funding and I am not only saying that because I am familiar with it. In some cases, multiple sclerosis is a terminal illness but many people continue to live fulfilling lives despite the fact they suffer from this illness and its associated difficulties. The society does tremendous work in helping people to cope with their illness and in understanding what they can achieve and how they can perform a worthwhile role in society in spite of the disease. The work of an organisation such as this should be funded as part of the strategy. Its work should be included in the strategy to ensure people do not reach a decision that the only way out for them is an assisted suicide. There are other organisations, with which I am not as familiar and on whose territory I do not want to encroach, which deal with particular categories of people and which could play a beneficial role in regard to the issue under discussion.