Terry Leyden (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As one of the signatories, I am honoured to support Senator Marc MacSharry's Bill. It would provide substantial funding for the implementation of a range of measures to reduce the rate of suicide in Ireland. It is broadly based on the Senator's policy document, Actions Speak Louder Than Words, which was published last year. I compliment him on taking the initiative to try to reduce the level of suicide, which is appalling. He has outlined his case very well and used imagination and research which is based on the document he published.

I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Fergus O'Dowd, and hope the Government will give serious consideration to the Bill. It is a good, solid suggestion because funding is always an issue in this area. As a former chairman of the Western Health Board and a former Minister of State in the Department of Health, I know that the effort made during the year is restricted because of the amount of money available. The Bill would provide a stream of funding for the Department to assist in reducing the incidence of suicide. Reducing its incidence is all that is possible at this stage, although its elimination would be the ideal.

Far too often suicides are alcohol related. In many cases, people do not drink responsibly, but alcohol might be an added aspect when young people commit suicide, which is a tragedy for families. There is nothing worse. We cannot compare deaths, but suicide causes utter shock and devastation for the family and friends of the person involved. The total loss of life through suicide on an annual basis represents the equivalent of the population of an entire village. That puts the issue in stark terms. Mental well-being and suicide prevention policies and initiatives have always been starved of the resources they need to have a penetrative impact.

The Bill would deal with the gap between the licensed trade and off-licences, including major supermarkets, in the price of drink sold. The Government has done nothing to try to level the playing pitch in that regard. It constantly increases excise duties on drink sold in licensed premises which are controlled environments in the sale of alcohol, while ignoring the position in supermarkets. People are buying excessive amounts of alcohol in supermarkets at a very cheap price. The Minister of State may not realise that rural publicans cannot buy Jameson or other spirits from their wholesalers at less than the price it is sold in Tesco, Dunnes, Aldi, Lidl, SuperValu and Londis. It is extraordinary. Having an involvement through the Castlecoote Lodge Bar and Lounge in Castlecoote, County Roscommon, I realise it more than ever having seen the level of competition in that regard. The public house is a controlled drinking environment.

I was particularly disappointed when I read the Intoxicating Liquor (Amendment) Bill 2014, the signatories to which are Senators Imelda Henry, Maurice Cummins and Colm Burke. It would allow for the drinking of alcohol in pubs 365 days a year.