€10m needed for suicide prevention, says Government Watchdog
Minister for Finance Brian Cowen must provide a minimum of €10m to fund suicide prevention initiatives in the next Budget, a Government Watchdog has claimed.
Action On Suicide Alliance made the call today for the Government to provide adequate resourcing for national, regional and local suicide prevention projects around Ireland.
This follows the recent announcement that the Government is pursuing closer co-operation with the Northern Assembly on a range of health issues, including a 32-county approach to the issue of suicide prevention.
“More than 900 people die by suicide on the island of Ireland each year, that’s approximately three people per day, and many more attempt suicide or engage in deliberate self harm,” said John Saunders, chairman of the Action On Suicide Alliance.
“It is quite clear that the rate of suicide in Ireland is now a national crisis and demands a concerted response from Government.
“The prioritisation of suicide prevention measures by the Minister for State at the Dept of Health, Jimmy Devins, is a welcome measure. However, this prioritisation has to be underpinned by significant financial resources if we are to reduce, in a meaningful way, the numbers of people who die by suicide in Ireland.”
The Action On Suicide Alliance comprises of 3TS, Amnesty International Irish Section, Bodywhys – The Eating Disorder Association of Ireland, Console, Irish Advocacy Network, Irish Mental Health Coalition, Let’s Get Together Foundation, Living Links, Schizophrenia Ireland, SpunOut, and Teen-Line Ireland.
