Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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833. To ask the Minister for Health the number of deaths by suicide in 2020; the number in each year since 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44970/20]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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Based on the official Vital Statistics publications of the Central Statistics Office (CSO) the total number of deaths assigned an underlying cause of death of ‘suicide and intentional self-harm’ in 2020 is 97 (72 registered in Quarter 1 2020 and 25 registered in Quarter 2 2020).

Legally, in Ireland, a death can be registered up to three months after the date of occurrence. In addition, all unnatural deaths, including deaths from intentional self-harm must be referred to the Coroner's Office. This can result in the registration of such deaths being delayed. As the Coroner's Court did not hold public hearings as a consequence of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this delay may have been even greater in 2020 which would impact on the number of deaths registered and subsequently assigned an underlying cause of death of intentional self-harm.

Table 1 below shows the number of deaths by suicide published by the CSO in each year 2016-2019, as well as Quarter 1 and Quarter 2 2020. Prior to 2019, official statistics were based on the year of occurrence of the death, from 2019 onwards deaths are based on the year the death was registered.

The total number of suicides registered in 2019 are provisional and as noted above the number registered for 2020 is likely to be an underestimate.

Table 1: Number of suicides 2016-Q2 2020

Note 1: Legally, in Ireland, a death can be registered up to three months after the date of occurrence.

Note 2: All unnatural deaths, which includes deaths from intentional self-harm must be referred to the Coroner's Office. This can result in the registration of these types of deaths being delayed and the number of deaths by suicide in 2020 will be an underestimate. As the Coroner's Court did not hold public hearings as a consequence of the restrictions imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this delay may have been greater in 2020 which would impact on the number of deaths registered and subsequently assigned an Underlying Cause of Death of intentional self-harm.