Written answers

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

Department of Health

Suicide Prevention

Photo of Robert TroyRobert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
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431. To ask the Minister for Health the number of times the interdepartmental group which launched the Connecting for Life suicide strategy has met since its launch in June 2015; if he has an implementation plan in place; and his progress in implementing it. [11321/16]

Photo of Simon HarrisSimon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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The Cross-Sectoral Connecting for Life Implementation Steering Group was established in 2015 in response to the actions set out in Connecting for Life, the national strategy to reduce suicide. This strategy contains a detailed and clear plan to achieve each of the goals it proposes, with defined actions and a lead agency and key partners in place for each individual action; however the implementation process for Connecting for Life is particularly complex because it is a cross-cutting, whole-of-society strategy, which requires consistent co-operation and communication between relevant stakeholders.

The Cross-Sectoral Connecting for Life Implementation Steering Group met on 23 February 2016. At this meeting, the members discussed the current position on suicide trends in Ireland and the challenges involved, the background to the development of the new Strategy, and the establishment of the Steering Group, including detailed discussion on what form implementation will take.

The Department of Health plans to hold the second meeting of the National Cross-Sectoral Steering & Implementation Group in June. The Implementation Template has been finalised and comprises an action template for each lead government department or lead agency with responsibility for one or more actions in the strategy. This has been sent to members, with a progress report on all actions due at the June meeting.

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