Martin McAleese (Independent)

I thank the Minister for coming to the House today and giving us a comprehensive review of the plans she has for her Department to deal with this issue into the future.

We are increasingly becoming aware of the extent of the problem of suicide in this country in all its painful and heartbreaking reality. I will not get into the statistics other than to point out that it happens across the age groups, from ten to 14 years olds right up to those in their 80s and beyond. Most shockingly, it is now the most common cause of death among 15 to 25 year olds. The impact of suicide on those who are bereaved, and this is a range of people caught up in the aftermath of a suicide that includes the family, friends, neighbours, colleagues, health and other professionals and entire communities, is shattering and closure can be hard to find. None of us has the answers or, perhaps, even the right questions as we struggle to confront the challenge of what must be done.

Suicide thrives only in places of taboos and terror. It is incumbent on all of us to try to address the confusion and despair that underlies it. We all place a great deal of emphasis, for ourselves and within our families, on intellectual and educational development and on sporting, recreational and social skills. We try to look after our physical health and we take care of our appearance so we look our best. We should be encouraged to give equal importance to the development and awareness of our mental health. This might not be easy to do. It is easy to say, but the challenge is how to do it and how to explain to our young people what it means.

In terms of prevention and early intervention, the area which might have the greatest impact is that of building mental health resilience. It makes a great deal of sense to create the circumstances and the opportunity, particularly for young people, to build and develop their mental health resilience. In this way they can grow to believe in their own resourcefulness to cope with life's challenges, rather than be overwhelmed by them. When mental health resilience fails a person, he or she becomes vulnerable to slipping into a dark or black place. Those of us who have not felt the despair of depression or suicidal thoughts can only imagine what is going through the anguished and tortured mind. This must also include the inevitable fears about how family, friends and work colleagues would react to knowing the truth.

We all know the seanfhocail, "ar scáth a chéile a mhaireann na daoine". It is normally used to demonstrate the reliance we place on one another but that most reassuring of phrases - we live in one another's shadow - may take on a darker and more sinister meaning for those grappling with the horrors of depression. We can imagine their dread of telling others for fear they may react in such away that the vulnerable person might be regarded as letting the family down or being flawed in some way, as causing shame or embarrassment, as being weird or strange in the eyes of their friends, as being worthless or valueless or as being less reliable, less dependable and less trustworthy in the workplace.

Unfortunately, as long as a sense of stigma endures around mental illness, in some cases the answer to some of these questions may sadly be "Yes". To a person in emotional distress, it must feel like pieces of life built with such care and effort being taken away as though a life and, indeed, a person is being dismantled slowly brick by brick. Surely, there is an obligation on all of us to try to understand and to educate ourselves in respect of the experience of emotional distress.

When faced with a person suffering such pain, the risk is that those who do not understand may invoke a defence mechanism and appear detached or uncaring. Those who listen and respond to vulnerable people need to be fully engaged, sympathetic, understanding and never judgmental. They must not be afraid or give the impression that they would rather be anywhere else.

Like everyone else here, I do not pretend to even have a fraction of the full answer but I urge the Minister of State, when addressing this complex and difficult issue, to place special emphasis on three main areas, namely, preventative measures, in particular measures to assist young people to strengthen their mental health and to believe in their innate resilience; finding ways to give those experiencing depression or suicidal tendencies the reassurance and comfort of knowing that whatever they need is available without stigma or suspicion; and perhaps most challenging of all, to start to change the culture in our country so that we come to regard emotional distress and mental suffering as a very real part of many people's lives but equally to see that it is possible to come through those experiences and to recover a good and full life for one's self.

I join Senator Burke in urging all those involved in suicide intervention and prevention - State agencies, health professionals, academics, support and advocacy groups and individuals - to work together on this issue. Perhaps our National Office for Suicide Prevention should not only encourage but should incentivise creative and effective collaboration. Pooling experience and expertise will mean that we are best placed to find at least some answers and to give hope not only to those who are vulnerable but, critically, to their families and communities.

We have already had several remarkable awareness campaigns, about which we have heard, that have helped to begin to lift the stigma and shame surrounding mental ill health. Now we need to step up these campaigns and encourage greater openness, honesty and understanding around the issues of mental ill health and suicide but as we do so, it is critical we find the right words to reduce fear and to give those who are vulnerable the confidence and the courage to come forward at an early stage to talk about their feelings rather than allow a crisis in their life to become a suicidal crisis. This is no easy task but we all have a duty to do our absolute best to find the right questions and the right answers.

I wish the Minister of State well as she grapples with this difficult issue. She should be assured that she has the support of the country.