Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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376. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the perilous funding situation of an organisation (details supplied) which conducts vital suicide prevention work in the community; if his attention has been further drawn to the fact that funding to tackle suicide has never been of more critical need, considering that the number of suicides reached its highest ever number in 2011 and that Ireland has the fourth highest rate of suicide for men aged 15 to 24 years in Europe; if he will commit to ensuring that vital funding of this organisation will be maintained in the event that the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government is unable to continue support through the Pobal scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8816/15]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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The role of the HSE's National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) is to oversee the implementation of Reach Outthe National Strategy for Action on Suicide Prevention and to co-ordinate suicide prevention efforts around the country. The NOSP helps to support a wide array of work in communities, in partnership with the voluntary sector, across the country that focus on promoting positive mental health and reducing suicide and self-harm by providing significant grant funding each year as well as by assisting in coordinating and giving strategic direction to the work undertaken.

The funding of specific programmes/organisations is a service issue, therefore this question has been referred to the HSE for direct reply to the Deputy. If you have not received a response within 15 working days, please contact my private office and they will follow up the matter with them.