Lisa McDonald (Fianna Fail)

I greatly welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. We should continue to highlight the issue, rather than considering that our commitment has been achieved by concluding the debate today. In the past, society tended to sweep the suicide issue under the carpet, which led to it being stigmatised. Recently, a mother whose son is suffering from depression told me that if he was suffering from cancer or some other disease, counselling and other help would be available. However, as depression is a mental health issue she cannot obtain the required support. In essence, she feels stigmatised as the mother of someone suffering from depression. The stigma is such that it can drive family members to despair, as well as the person who is depressed.

In the past, not enough was done by society to discuss the high rate of suicide here, which is one of the highest in Europe. Suicide is one of the biggest killers of young people and young men in particular. The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, must put this to the forefront in dealing with such health matters. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, to the House. He is the right man for the job and is seriously committed to placing suicide at the top of the political agenda. Our party's spokesperson, Senator Corrigan, will diligently deal with this serious issue.

Previous speakers have referred to the figure of 500 people per year committing suicide in the Twenty-six Counties. Behind every such tragic tale there is a grieving family. Recent evidence has shown that children as young as six are now attempting to take their own lives. In addition, they are being taught how to do so by sinister websites that have been mentioned. All of this indicates that we are dealing with a national crisis. I welcome the Reach Out programme but we need to go further by putting in place prevention strategies, with the required services. We should ringfence an appropriate part of the health budget for mental health to guarantee sufficient resources to revamp the suicide prevention strategy. To this end, community-based initiatives must be expanded as they are making a real impact. In addition, further investment is needed in clinical and community-based research on suicide prevention.

A public awareness campaign is required to highlight the dangers of Internet websites. However, sites such as Bebo and MySpace do have a role to play in promoting and highlighting services to help young people when faced with such problems in their lives. Parents need to be aware of these sites and should know what their children are viewing on the Internet.

I acknowledge the work that has been done so far by the Reach Out programme. While I congratulate the Minister on opening the first centre for the prevention of suicide and self-harm this year, we should now try to establish such centres in every county. Pieta House, the community-based facility in Lucan, County Dublin, is doing sterling work. Its aim is to assist the growing number of people affected by suicide. I was speaking to the director of that facility last week and it is clear that we need such centres in every county. Whether they are to be provided by the State, grants should be made available to groups that wish to establish such facilities. Perhaps we can liaise with local authorities in providing such accommodation in premises that are currently not in use.

Suicide statistics are stark. Worldwide, more people die by suicide than murder or war. In Ireland, approximately 600 people take their lives annually. The official figure is 500, as has been stated, but there are far more cases that we do not know about. These include people who die in road traffic accidents, but we will never know for sure. That is why research is vital in getting to the nub of the reasons for suicide. Some 11,000 people per annum currently present themselves to accident and emergency units having deliberately harmed themselves. It is believed that approximately 70,000 people deliberately harm themselves but do not seek medical attention as a result. A far greater number have suicidal thoughts.

The most recent figures that I have obtained for my own county of Wexford are frightening. From 1990 to 2000, approximately 163 deaths by suicide were registered by the Central Statistics Office, which is much above the national average. During the same period, many more people were admitted to the accident and emergency unit at Wexford General Hospital as a result of self-harm. The figures speak for themselves. We have had many upsetting, high profile cases in the county, which have been well documented by local and national media. In the aftermath of such cases, people are frustrated and fearful, although trying to help but not knowing exactly what to do. In considering pilot projects, there is no more deserving county than Wexford and I am not being parochial in saying so. Wexford Creamery is holding its Halloween milk run to raise money for the suicide prevention group Aware. That move is to be welcomed but it shows the extent of the problem when the business community feels obliged to become involved at a local level. More people die by suicide than in road traffic accidents, yet large sums of money are pumped into road safety campaigns. We need to make people aware of the research to help secure appropriate funding.

I agree with Senators Fitzgerald and Norris that sexual orientation is a cause of suicide, especially among young men. We need to consider how to bring community facilities to these people. Drug and alcohol abuse, bullying, workplace stress, money problems, social pressure, isolation, loneliness and being unable to contact support are other causes of suicide. Mental health problems are only one factor. While the Samaritans play a strong role it is sometimes necessary to have a community base, a person who is continually available. As a politician I often feel I am that person which proves that a community contact is vital in addition to the excellent role played by the Samaritans which must continue. Ringfenced money needs to be invested in providing a helpline in every county, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Suicide affects every part of society and where it occurs in clusters it bereaves families, friends, neighbours and communities, leaving a legacy of hurt, confusion, insecurity and fear. It is said that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Even one suicide is one too many and a failure of society. We need to focus our energies on this crisis and I urge the Minister of State to redouble his efforts to tackle it.