Catherine Noone (Fine Gael)

I welcome the Minister of State, my party colleague, Deputy Derek Keating, and the group from Clondalkin which is accompanying him. Their interest in this matter has been recognised by numerous speakers. This is a welcome debate because the issue of suicide needs to be discussed in general and specific terms in the Houses and community at large. We need to be aware of the importance of simply talking to someone who has a difficulty that may lead to mental illness. This is a cultural and societal issue. The difficulties that people suffer daily can develop into a very serious problem. The stresses in society, including as a result of unemployment and financial issues, are causing major problems for families which can culminate in suicide. Practically every family has been touched by suicide in some way.

The problem of suicide has gone unreported for many years, although I am aware the issue is being addressed.

One major issue I have raised before in the House is that in the media suicide is not glamorised - that may be the wrong word - but on many occasions, especially recently when a high-profile footballer took his own life, the media coverage is somewhat inappropriate. Other speakers have spoken about how it can be contagious. The over-glamorisation of suicide is a real difficulty. Media guidelines state that every time something is mentioned in the media contact details for adequate support services should be placed at the end of a story, something which has not been done. It should be re-emphasised to the media by the Minister of State and her Department.

I would like to make two main points on suicide. I was very interested in the statistics provided by Senator McAleese. The idea of 10 to 14 year olds committing suicide is incredibly sad because they have yet to become the people that they are and the idea of that has resonated with me today. The fact that 40% of suicide victims are young men between the ages of 18 and 28 is a stark proportion and shows that suicide is the biggest killer of young men in Ireland.

I have a particular bugbear about alcohol. Studies have shown that the consumption of alcohol seriously increases the risk of mental illness. If the risk of mental illness is increased the risk of suicide is also increased. There is another cultural problem in the country we need to address very carefully. We need to realise that the consumption of alcohol at the level we in this country consume it is very dangerous. It is something which is being worked on and we had a Private Members' motion on it in this House recently. The debate was very constructive but it will take a lot more than increasing the cost of alcohol in supermarkets to address the prevalence of alcohol in society. Not just the potential of suicide but many other problems are linked to that and it should not go unmentioned today.

Suicide and unemployment is an issue, as other speakers have mentioned. International studies have shown that for every 1% rise in unemployment there is an 0.79% increase in suicide rates, which is something we must be very concerned about. There is no doubt that the Minister of State is addressing this in her Department. The recession has left more young men out of work then any other demographic. They are doubly at risk in this country.

Employment offers people a sense of purpose and improves their self-esteem. Other speakers have spoken about self-esteem and its link to depression. I agree with Senator Barrett. The result of a lack of self-esteem and self-worth has to be depression. In 2007 President McAleese hit on a particularly prescient point. She pointed out that a sizeable proportion of victims of suicide are dealing with the problems with sexuality. It is something that, along with depression, is not discussed in this country. It is a huge issue. It is a fact that for young gay teenagers, particularly those from rural backgrounds, adequate supports do not exist despite huge efforts by certain organisations. It is another area that has a taboo attached to it and we must include it in any discussion on suicide in this country.

The way suicide is treated, spoken about and reported has to be done carefully. The contagious effect of suicide has been documented. In a place called Micronesia the suicide rate in the 1970s soared from virtually 0% to 800%, which is an extreme example. I have touched on the contagious nature of suicide before and it needs to be addressed. This does not mean that we should be afraid to speak about it. We should consider our words and make sure support is available for people. Every one of us needs to be willing to embrace the subject. It is a difficult one to talk about but in our daily lives we must be very aware of it. I wish the Minister of State well with her work.