Maurice Cummins (Fine Gael)

Reach Out: National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention was published in 2005 and its recommendations were endorsed by the Government. In the meantime the investment in suicide research and prevention has been an absolute disgrace. ASIST, which stands for applied suicide intervention skills training, is a two-day course to prepare individuals to provide emergency interventions to help people at risk of suicide. More than 40 of these programmes have been cancelled. While we have cutbacks in health, these types of cutbacks are totally unacceptable. I again call for a debate on suicide and the recommendations of Reach Out, which have not been implemented to date.