Government must take urgent action to tackle suicide rate, say TDs

THE Government should stop dithering about Ireland’s suicide epidemic and urgently implement a €60 million package of reforms to cut death rates, an influential group of TDs said yesterday.

Their report castigated the Government for allocating just €1.2m a year to suicide prevention compared to €29.5m on preventing road deaths.

Latest figures show 457 people took their own lives in 2004 — compared to 375 dying on the roads — with factors including Ireland’s fragmented society, job insecurity, alcohol consumption, and family law weighted against fathers.