John Perry (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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Question 261: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the recent recommendation that the Government should invest an additional €60 million on measures to reduce the level of suicide; the plans the Government has to adopt a target of reducing the rate of suicide by 20 percent by 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25050/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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Reach Out — a National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention, 2005-2014 which was launched by An Tánaiste and Minister for Health in September, 2005 builds on the work of the National Task Force on Suicide (1998) and takes account of the efforts and initiatives developed by the former health boards in recent years. The approach to the Strategy is a straightforward one. Four levels of action comprise the main body of the strategy. These are categorised as: general population approach; target approach; responding to suicide; and information and research.

At each level, Action Areas have been identified (26 in total) and specific points of action have been identified to be implemented in three phases over the coming years (an average of 3 to 4 actions per area).

"Reach Out" recommends a combined public health and high risk approach. This approach to suicide prevention is also that advocated by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) and is in keeping with the European Action Plan for Mental Health which was signed and endorsed on behalf of ministers of health of the 52 member states of the European Region of the World Health Organisation at the Ministerial Conference on Mental Health in Helsinki, Finland in January 2005.

I assume the Deputy is referring to the recent media coverage regarding the work of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children's Sub-Committee on the High Level of Suicide in Irish Society. I understand that the report has yet to be published and am therefore not in a position to respond in detail at this time.

I can confirm however that much consideration was given to the setting of an overall target for the reduction of our national suicide rate as an outcome measure of this strategy. At this stage, it has been decided that a specific target will not be set for the following two reasons: the priority is to establish the accuracy of suicide mortality in Ireland; and due to the range and inter-play of factors that influence the suicide rate, a direct cause and effect relationship between prevention programmes and a change in the overall population rates is virtually impossible to establish.

Nevertheless, there are undoubted advantages to setting targets for an overall reduction, not least the fact that it focuses the attention of those working at all levels of suicide prevention. An overall target for the reduction of suicide rates will be set by the Government, on the advice of the Minister for Health and Children, when the Minister is satisfied that suicide rates have been accurately determined.