Mary White (Fianna Fail)

I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, on her valiant efforts to keep social inequality on the Government's radar. As she is aware, in 2008 I published What We Can Do About Suicide In The New Ireland. It is available for download on my website.

Much of the focus is on suicide and mental health problems caused by unemployment. It is important we keep cool heads at this time. Of those who lose their jobs, 99% will not die from suicide. There is a responsibility on employers and the trade unions, however, to support those who lose their jobs, particularly those in their 50s who may have problems getting future employment.

We have all seen the problems Greece has with its austerity programme. Until last year it had one of the lowest rates of suicide. Between January and July 2011, according to the Greek health ministry, there was a 40% increase in suicides there. We must remain calm and give back-up to people who lose their jobs. As the economic recession continues, along with the austerity programmes, there will be an increase in the numbers suffering from mental health problems, self-harming and suicide.

The National Suicide Research Foundation, based in Cork, indicated there has been an increase in self-harming rates over the past four years. It is now estimated 60,000 people self-harm with 12,000 such cases presenting at accident and emergency departments every year. Alcohol also plays a leading role in self-harming. Dr. Ella Arensman, based in the National Suicide Research Foundation in Cork, before Christmas in The Irish Times, sent out a message that people should be more careful about what they drink and how they drink following the publication of figures from her organisations that indicate a link between alcohol consumption and self-harm. Some 70% of those who self-harm do it by overdosing on medication, with the remainder self-cutting.

It is all very fine before Christmas in that the holidays are coming, it is fun and people are inclined to take alcohol if they feel like drinking, but binge-drinking is the problem. In the Bible, Jesus Christ converted water into wine. I have no problem with alcohol, but each one of us has a serious responsibility to treat it very carefully. It is all right for most of the people who can drink-----