Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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Question 253: To ask the Minister for Health if he will prioritise resources for those agencies that are responsible for increasing awareness regarding the growing problem of deliberate self-harm. [14501/11]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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Dealing with the current high levels of suicide and deliberate self harm is a priority for this Government. Reach Out - the National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention (2005 - 2014) provides a policy framework for suicide prevention activities in Ireland. It calls for a multi-sectoral approach to the prevention of suicidal behaviour involving health, education, community, voluntary and private sector agencies. The total funding available nationally through the HSE for suicide prevention is about €9 million of which €4.2 million is available to the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) and approximately €5 million is available regionally to fund Resource Officers for Suicide Prevention, Self-Harm Liaison Nurses in Hospital Emergency partments and local suicide prevention initiatives including crisis awareness groups.

The funding being provided in this area this year includes a special allocation of €1 million specifically to target initiatives to address the increasing incidence of suicide and deliberate self harm. The emphasis will be placed on the most vulnerable groups identified in 'Reach Out' and more recent research.

The Government has also committed to ringfencing €35 million annually in future budgets to develop community mental health services and to implement Reach Out.