Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 108: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the measures in place aimed at reducing the number of deaths by suicide; her Department's policy and strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41363/06]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 282: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress since the publication of the national task force report on suicide in 1998; the number of annual deaths arising from suicide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [41336/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 282 together.

Since the publication of the Report of the National Task Force on Suicide in 1998 there has been a positive and committed response among both the statutory and voluntary sectors towards finding ways of tackling this tragic problem. The Chief Executive Officers of the former Health Boards established the Suicide Review Group and Resource officers were appointed in all health boards with specific responsibility for implementing the Task Force's recommendations.

In 2003, the ongoing concern about reported rates of suicidal behaviour underlined the need to develop a national strategy for action on suicide prevention, building on earlier efforts and learning from national and international experiences.

"Reach Out" a National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention, 2005-2014 was launched in September 2005. This strategy builds on the work of the National Task Force on Suicide and takes account of the efforts and initiatives developed by the former health boards in recent years. During the two years developing the strategy, wide ranging consultation took place throughout the country to draw on the experience, perspectives and ideas of the key stakeholders and interested parties. This consultation process, combined with continuous monitoring of evidence and best practice, allowed the project team to take both an evidence-based and pragmatic approach in prioritising actions to be undertaken by the various agencies and groups in order to effect real change over the next 5 to 10 years.

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.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) is taking a lead role in overseeing the implementation of Reach Out, in partnership with those statutory and voluntary organisations that have a key role to play in making the actions happen. In 2005, the HSE established the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) to oversee the implementation of the strategy.

According to the Central Statistics Office, the number of registered deaths by suicide for each year since 1998 is as shown in the table.