Thousands completed suicide prevention training last year

Mr Meehan, who is HSE assistant national director of mental health strategy and planning, was speaking at the launch of the NOSP's 2018 report.

He pointed out that last year marked the mid-way point of Connecting for Life, Ireland's National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015-2020.

Mr Meehan said an interim review of Connecting For Life last year confirmed that it remains relevant and that its approaches are fundamental to a national strategic response to reduce deaths by suicide.

“There remains a very firm commitment to, and investment from the HSE to realise the vision of the strategy - of an Ireland where fewer lives were lost to suicide,” he said.

The NSOP released updated provisional suicide statistics from the Central Statistics Office that show that 352 people died by suicide last year, compared to 392 in 2017.

A gender breakdown shows that last year 282 people who died by suicide were male and 70 were female, compared to 312 males and 80 males in 2017.

In 2016, there were 437 deaths by suicide - 350 males and 87 females and in 2015 there were 425 deaths by suicide - 335 males and 90 females, according to revised “official” figures from the CSO.

The Department of Health has supported NOSP by increasing its budget significantly, from €5m in 2012 to about €13m to date.

Minister for Health for Older People, Jim Daly, who launched the NOSP's annual report, said the Government will continue to support the office in its work on suicide prevention into the future.

HSE national director for community strategy and planning, Pat Healy, said almost 60% of NSOP expenditure supports frontline services and organisations working in the area of suicide prevention and mental health promotion.

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