Suicide-prevention groups: Strategy plan lacking
While campaigners have welcomed the Government's new suicide-prevention strategy, they say they still question commitment to resources in the area.
Dan Neville, president of the Irish Association of Suicidology and Fine Gael TD, said that he was disappointed that targets to reduce the number of suicide deaths weren’t included in the programme and that the cost of the programme wasn’t outlined.
“I'm a little disappointed that it’s not costed. We haven’t a cost on it, and we don’t have reduction targets as we’ve seen in prevention programmes in other countries, although the Tánaiste did refer to the fact that suicide reduction targets will be brought forward at some stage," he said.
"But I thought that they would be an intrical part of any strategy to reduce suicide levels.”
The 10-year programme will involve an investment of €500,000 from the Department of Health and Children.
The strategy aims to reduce the levels of suicide in Ireland through the establishment of a National Office for Suicide Prevention.
The programme will promote positive mental health in the general population, as well as tackling specific groups such as young men, prisoners and the unemployed.
It will involve the delivery of a national intervention skills training programme and the creation of services for treating deliberate self-harm in accident and emergency departments.
Bereavement support services will also be provided as part of the strategy to help those affected by suicide.
The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, described suicide as a rising trend in Irish society and very worrying.
"Suicide is not just an issue for the Department of Health and Children. It's an issue for our entire society. It's an issue of concern to family, to friends, to community leaders, to business, educational interests, health interests, the justice system," she said.
According to figures from the Central Statistic Office, the Irish suicide rate has doubled since the early 1980s and the average number of suicide deaths is 494 annually.
