Report reveals high suicide rate among Travellers

A SHOCKING new report yesterday reveals that 35 suicides have been recorded among the Travelling community in West Dublin in the last 18 months.

The report, launched by Catholic Youth Care (CYC), says that a further 49 attempted suicides were made by males and 29 by females.

Calls have now been made for a dedicated suicide officer and specialist services in the area to pinpoint vulnerable young people who may be at risk, and to help families coping with bereavement.

Depression, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence and marital breakdown are given as the main causes of suicide. Hanging was the most common means.

Staff from CYC interviewed 52 Travellers in the Tallaght area for the case study.

Half of those said they have dealt with between three and six male suicides, while a further five had been affected by 10 suicides of male friends or family.

Andy Doogue, education officer, Tallaght Travellers Youth Service, has worked as a local Outreach Worker for 20 years. He said Travellers involved with drugs are destroying complete sites. “I’ve seen one particular site where 10 families in the site are separated, broken-up, with four in particular who took their own life as a result of drug overdoses, drug abuse, or pressure from the Travelling community to get involved in drug selling and drug misuse,” he said.

“The challenge to get on in life is causing a lot of it too. There is a lack of education. A lot of people I know who have committed suicide in the last few months had basic primary education, wouldn’t have went on to secondary school, would see themselves going no farther in life or they had marriage breakdown and they felt that was the end.”

An application by CYC for financial support for a suicide officer through the Dormant Accounts Fund earlier this year was rejected.