Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Anti-Austerity Alliance)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

199. To ask the Minister for Health if he will undertake a study of cases of murder-suicide here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29049/16]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In the first instance, murder constitutes a criminal act and a Garda investigation must take place before any cases of what is later classified as murder-suicide can be confirmed.

Murder-suicide cases in Ireland, as in most other countries, are rare. However, the National Suicide Research Foundation recently confirmed that, since 2004, there have been at least 21 murder-suicide cases in this country. The impact of these events can be devastating, particularly on families and communities.

The National Suicide Research Foundation has also examined the international research literature in the area of murder-suicide. The outcomes reveal that:

- People involved in murder-suicide are most commonly men;

- The average age of the men involved is 40 and 50 years (age range: 19-86 years);

- Fathers rather than mothers are more likely to take their own life or attempt suicide after they have taken the live(s) of their spouse/partner and/or child or children.

Although the available research does not provide information on specific factors associated with murder-suicide, internationally there is consistency with regard to a number of factors that may contribute to an increased risk of the occurrence of these tragic situations:

- 80% of the persons involved in murder-suicide had a history of psychiatric disorders, in particular depression;

- 70% of females and 30% of males had previous contact with a psychiatrist or other mental health care professional;

- Persons involved in murder-suicide show higher rates of prior non-fatal suicidal acts compared to those who take their own lives but not the lives of others;

- 30% of males had recently experienced a decrease in status at work or job loss;

- In 90% of murder-suicide cases involving mothers and in 60% of cases involving fathers, a desire to alleviate real or imagined suffering in their children was reported, for example due to a perceived future of shame without them.

With regard to responding to murder-suicide, in 2011, the National Office for Suicide Prevention published guidelines for responding to situations of murder-suicide and emerging suicide clusters, based on international evidence and best practice. The guideline document underlines a pro-active approach in that each local health area needs to prepare a response plan that can be activated when these very tragic situations occur.

I would also mention that where murder-suicide in general is concerned, it is usually far more complicated than a simple analysis that mental illness is the cause. The murder of a family, particularly where children are concerned, grabs public attention because it is one of the most unthinkable of crimes. It must be remembered that the vast bulk of people who suffer from mental illness are not violent, and the vast bulk of violent acts are committed by people who are not mentally ill. Indeed, people with mental illness are more likely to be the victims of crime - not the perpetrators of crime.

I will raise the question of whether a study into the cases of murder-suicide in this country would be helpful, in the context of other research needs, with the National Office for Suicide Prevention and the National Suicide Research Foundation.