Denis Landy (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, for coming to the House to deal with this matter. It is an issue which I raised as a matter of urgency last week, relating to the directive from the Health Service Executive indicating the withdrawal of funding for travel expenses in regard to non-clinical work. Unfortunately, suicide awareness falls into the category of non-clinical work, meaning that the allowance currently paid to specialist tutors engaged in this sector is ending. As a result, services aimed at removing the stigma attached to suicide and offering support to communities are at risk.

The demands, pressures and expectations of modern life can increase levels of anxiety and depression. These pressures often intensify in times of recession, and my home town of Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary, is no different in this regard. Our community has suffered greatly from the tragedy of suicide and is desperately in need of help. Unemployment, at 20%, is stubbornly high, which leads to the usual social problems. The Nano Nagle Centre in the town runs a course which teaches participants the skills required to identify signs of suicidal behaviour and to help those affected by the death of a loved one through suicide. It offers people life-saving tools which can benefit others in their community. However, after the first three sessions of the course, funding for tutors' travel has been withdrawn. This drastic action has caused huge disappointment for the current 29 participants, who have shown tremendous courage in seeking to help people at risk and those bereaved by suicide.

At a time when the number of people presenting at hospital emergency departments following incidents of self-harm is increasing, this decision makes no sense. People can become suicidal for many reasons, including as a consequence of cyber-bullying, the loss of a job or where they are experiencing loneliness and isolation. In this context, the relatively small allocation for running the course in Carrick-on-Suir should be reinstated as soon as possible.

There is a strong argument that this service does amount to clinical work. It certainly represents a proactive approach to the prevention of suicide and self-harm. It can be particularly helpful for those experiencing suicidal thoughts to hear people who have been bereaved by suicide speak candidly about the death of their loved one. The course at the Nano Nagle Centre provides a relaxed and comfortable setting for this type of engagement. There is a great deal to do in terms of educating society about the issues surrounding mental, psychological and emotional ill-health. The longer that misconceptions about suicide are allowed to persist, the longer we will all struggle to address the problem.

Those bereaved by suicide are often in desperate need of a realistic outlook on what their life will be like in the months and years ahead. The death by suicide of a loved one is a pivotal event in a person's life and nothing will ever be the same again. This does not mean, however, that people can never again experience happiness. They must work hard to resolve their grief with the help of others who have been through the same experience. With time, support and after many tears, they can live a full life. Courses such as this one in Carrick-on-Suir can help to change attitudes to suicide. People need to know that mental illness, like any other illness, can be treated and cured. Professional help must be sought at an early stage, however, and the State has an obligation to provide the services required to help sufferers to recover. In this instance, that support is being provided at a very small cost to the Exchequer. If those who wish to avail of the course are now obliged to seek help through the psychiatric services, this will impose a much greater burden on public moneys. I appeal to the Minister of State to make the funding available through the ring-fenced mental health budget to reinstate this course as soon as possible.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I thank the Senator for raising this issue on the Adjournment. I very much appreciate the concern this is causing to the community in Carrick-on-Suir. There is an inherent complexity in seeking to tackle the issue of suicide, and support is required both for those who are considering taking their own lives and for those left behind after the death of a loved one. I accept that we are talking here about a small amount of money. However, if I were to accede to every request for funding from the ¤35 million allocated under the mental health budget, the money would be gone before it is ever drawn down. We had no choice but to be very rigid in terms of what we could do with it.

The Health Service Executive's regional suicide resource office in Waterford provides suicide prevention training programmes across the counties of Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny and south Tipperary. The principles underpinning the work of the resource office are to support local health offices through close collaboration with the local area teams in regard to issues pertaining to suicide and self-harm. The office also works closely with the various voluntary and community groups in the development of community-based initiatives aimed at increasing awareness of the issues associated with suicide and self-harming behaviour. Concerned About Suicide - a community education training programme, is one of 12 training programmes provided by the resource office. This programme is particularly supportive of communities in their efforts towards ameliorating the impact of suicide on the community at large.

It also provides essential training in supporting the at-risk individual and the suicide bereaved within that individual's community.

The training programme was delivered to 17 participants in Carrick-on-Suir in May. It recommenced at the Nano Nagle centre in Carrick-on-Suir in September. Unfortunately, because of the current budgetary position within the HSE, restrictions on staff travel were introduced and it was necessary to defer the remaining training until 2013. However, an offer to complete it at a venue in Waterford during 2012 was made to the community group by the HSE. To date, this offer has not been taken up. I suggest the Senator might inquire about the possibility of this happening, particularly as the programme has proved to be extremely beneficial.

The HSE's National Office for Suicide Prevention funds and co-ordinates a range of suicide prevention initiatives. It provides funding for 42 programmes run by 27 organisations such as Console, Samaritans, Pieta House to deliver services and support and directly respond to people in crisis and families bereaved through suicide. While the current economic environment presents a significant challenge for the health system generally in the delivery of services, mental health services are being treated as a priority by the Government. In that regard, consideration was given to the mental health sector in budget 2012 through a special allocation of ¤35 million for mental health services. Funding from this special allocation is primarily being used to enhance both general adult and child and adolescent community mental health teams, improve access to psychological therapies in primary care and implement suicide prevention strategies. It is intended that the additional resources will be rolled out in conjunction with a scheme of appropriate clinical care programmes and each mental health service has been asked to identify an experienced staff member from the community teams to take responsibility for those elements of the clinical programme which deal with suicide prevention and to undergo specific training to fulfil this function.

The challenge of suicide prevention is one of the most urgent facing society. I am confident that in working together we can maximise the impact of the suicide prevention and support network to ensure it reaches and responds effectively to those who are most vulnerable.

Denis Landy (Labour)
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I thank the Minister of State for her reply, with which I am obviously very disappointed. I ask that she provide an undertaking to the effect that the funding for this specific course will be reinstated in 2013. She referred to an offer that those involved be allowed to complete the training at a venue in Waterford. We are dealing with 29 people and I am not aware of their social circumstances. In a town in which the rate of unemployment rate is 20%, it is highly likely that most of them lack the wherewithal to get to Waterford in order to take part in a training course. The greatest difficulty for them was to go into a room and share their life experiences with others. It would be impractical - I refer to the HSE rather than the Minister of State in this regard - to expect them to repeat this exercise in another setting. I am extremely disappointed by the stance taken in this matter. The work involved is not non-clinical in nature. What is at issue is a vital service that is literally helping to save and repair lives in my community. The withdrawal of funding is a blow to the community and those who undertook to take the course. I again ask the Minister of State to give an undertaking that the funding will be reinstated in 2013 in order that the brave people to whom I refer can complete the course as soon as possible and be of assistance to fellow citizens in their community.

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I understand the Senator's reaction to the offer in respect of the venue in Waterford. It is, however, a very generous offer which was not made in a frivolous manner. Rather, it was made on the basis of trying to resolve the issue. I agree with the Senator that this is not merely an issue for the Government, it is one which must also be dealt with by society in a community-based way. That is why SafeTALK and ASIST are being delivered across the country. We will revisit the issue when the decision on the funding allocation for the National Office for Suicide Prevention for 2013 is being made.