John Connolly (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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165. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on the development of the next suicide reduction strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [51261/25]

Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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Efforts to reduce Ireland's suicide rate had been guided by our outgoing national suicide reduction strategy, Connecting for Life, which came to the end of its implementation period at year-end 2024. Grounded in international best practice, Connecting for Life provided a comprehensive framework for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention across the country. The Department of Health is currently developing a successor strategy which will build on the good work done under Connecting for Life.

To inform the development of the next national suicide reduction strategy the Department of Health recently ran a public consultation. This public consultation has been completed and three reports arising from this work were published online on the 10th of September. The findings from this work will be invaluable in informing the new national suicide reduction strategy, providing insights from those with lived experience of suicide, professionals working in relevant contexts, and NGOs doing work in this area.

I recently appointed 22 members to an Expert Advisory Group to guide the development of Ireland’s next national suicide reduction strategy. The Expert Advisory Group for the next suicide reduction strategy will play a central role in shaping the strategy, ensuring it is informed by the findings from the public consultation, in which many people with lived experience of suicide participated, as well as the latest evidence, and cross-sectoral expertise.

This expert group is chaired by Dr Eileen Williamson, former CEO of the National Suicide Research Foundation, who brings a wealth of experience to the role from her 29 years working in the area of suicide prevention.

In addition, a Lived Experience Reference Group has been appointed, which will ensure that the voices of those with lived experience will be central to the development of this strategy; informing, critiquing and guiding the development of recommendations in tandem with the Expert Advisory Group. This group will be chaired by Joe O'Donovan and coordinated by the National Suicide Research Foundation.

I am committed to the development of a new suicide reduction strategy that will take full account of the evaluation of Connecting for Life, the findings of the public consultation, the latest evidence, as well as the views of both the Expert Advisory Group and the Lived Experience Reference Group. This will be done with a view to ensuring we continue to see a reduction in suicide in Ireland and provide the services and supports that those in crisis, and those who are bereaved by suicide, want and need.