Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 189: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the percentage of presentations at accident and emergency units having self-harm and attempted suicide under 30 years of age; and the number presenting by people aged less than 50 years. [34959/07]

Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of presentations to hospitals due to deliberate self-harm in 2005 and 2006; the number of persons involved in these presentations; and the percentage of male versus female. [34960/07]

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 189 and 190 together.

A National Registry of Deliberate Self-Harm, which is a national system of population monitoring for the occurrence of deliberate self-harm, has been operating in general hospitals in the Republic of Ireland since 2001 and is managed by the National Suicide Research Foundation.

In each of the years 2005 and 2006, there were approximately 10,900 deliberate self-harm presentations to Accident and Emergency Departments in Ireland made by 8,600 individuals. Women and men accounted for 56% and 44% of all deliberate self-harm presentations, respectively.

Persons under 30 years of age accounted for almost half of all presentations, 46% or 5,000. 87% or 9,500 of the deliberate self-harmpresentations were by persons under 50 years of age.