Paul Lawless (Mayo, Aontú)
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409. To ask the Minister for Health the steps her Department is taking to reduce the rate of male suicide; and the specific supports available to men experiencing mental ill health. [52668/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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For a decade now, Connecting for Life has provided us with a comprehensive plan for how we can reduce levels of suicide in our country. Reducing deaths by suicide is a very complex task, but evidence and experience internationally shows that real reductions in suicide rates can be achieved by involving the whole community, the whole of government, and all of society working in unison.

We do know already that suicide rates in Ireland are reducing. However, even one death is one too many and in absolute terms it remains the case that approximately 500 people in Ireland take their own lives each year.

Too many men die by suicide in this country, with 78% of all deaths due to suicide occurring amongst men. We need to do a lot more to encourage men to seek support and avail of services.

Men are a priority group under Connecting for Life, and there are a number of initiatives ongoing to enhance supports for and engagement with this group.

As part of a broader effort to support men in need, I recently announced €2 million in funding for new counselling supports for men. The funding is targeted at reducing stigma, encouraging counselling uptake among men, assisting men in accessing mental health services more generally, and providing much-needed support for men experiencing a mental health crisis. This initiative will support men by providing easier access to supports and greater choice for how men access them and when.

With regard to other initiatives aimed at reducing the rate of male suicide, the HSE would be better placed to expand on these and I have forwarded this question to the HSE for response in relation to these other supports.