Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 143: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the training which is given to student gardaí at the Garda college and to operational members of the force at in-service in relation to suicide. [28462/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the provision of training in suicide is delivered by the social and psychological studies section of the student-probationer training faculty at the Garda college. The training is provided on phase III of the student-probationer education-training and development programme. The following is a breakdown of instruction given: two hours tuition — delivered by a doctor of psychology; mental health awareness training — a five hours module in which the issue of suicide is covered; suicide training — covering informing and dealing with families post suicide.

A training programme on dealing with families of victims of homicide and other deaths will form part of the core programme being developed for 2006.