Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 136: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that a suicide awareness group (details supplied) in County Cork has been forced to withdraw a vital free counselling service for people bereaved by suicide due to lack of financial support from the State; if this service will receive funding following on from commitments to this type of service in the programme for Government; the latest figure of those who have died by suicide; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17590/07]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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Latest figures available from the Central Statistics Office indicate that there were 431 registered deaths by suicide in 2005.

Operational responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services was assigned to the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004 and funding for all health services has been provided as part of its overall vote. The Executive is, therefore, the appropriate body to consider the particular case raised by the Deputy. My Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.