Mary White (Fianna Fail)

The matter I am raising is serious. Every year 10,000 people - men and women - are widowed. The harsh reality revealed by this new study by Dr. Corcoran is that a widowed person is twice as liable to die by suicide. This is the first time a study of this nature has been conducted in Ireland. It would be a simple matter for the local community or health nurse to visit a person who has been bereaved. Widows and widowers are more liable to have an accident or endure death, including by suicide. This is a highly serious report. The official suicide figure is approximately 500 a year. We know, because of the many unreported suicides and different autopsy reports, we are not hearing about the true effects. A very simple solution to this problem would be for the community nurse to call to a widowed man or woman to assess the state of his or her mental health.