Liam Quaide (Cork East, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

2574. To ask the Minister for Health the work being undertaken by her officials and-or the HSE to establish real-time suicide reporting in Ireland and associated infrastructure; if she will outline any collaboration with An Garda Síochána in relation to data sharing in this regard and a timeline for the finalisation of data-sharing; the timeline for the establishment of a national system of real-time suicide reporting in Ireland; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40960/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As part of delivering on our national suicide reduction strategy, Connecting for Life, and our national mental health policy, Sharing the Vision: A Mental Health Policy for Everyone, a number of initiatives are underway to enhance reporting in relation to suicide in Ireland.

The HSE, Department of Health and the National Health Information Systems (NHIS) Unit of the Health Research Board (HRB) have established data collection on probable suicides using the HRB’s existing coronial data collection methodology. This new system is called the National Probable Suicide Monitoring System (NPSMS). The new system will feature in the development, implementation and monitoring of the next suicide reduction strategy for Ireland.

Work continues through the Central Statistics Office (CSO) Suicide Mortality Statistics Liaison Working Group to enhance suicide statistics. Recent improvements and refinements in CSO suicide data include the reporting of late registered suicide deaths so that county-level data is available on these deaths. This enhanced information is now available on the CSO website. The data is valuable to local HSE Resource Officers for Suicide Prevention in responding to suicide deaths, and supporting the delivery of data driven local implementation plans for Connecting for Life.

To the extent that this is a service matter, this has been referred to the HSE for direct response.