Key suicide prevention post empty as rate soars

The key post of director at the National Office for Suicide Prevention remains unfilled as figures show male suicide has rocketed by almost 140% in the past 30 years.

It is a year since director Geoff Day resigned and his replacement, appointed in July, stayed just three months in the job before being seconded to the Department of Health. Last month, the HSE expressed confidence a permanent director would finally be in place this month.

However, Martin Rogan, HSE assistant national director for mental health, yesterday conceded it was more likely to be mid-November before an appointment is made. Mr Rogan is currently acting in the post.

Noel Smyth, property developer and founder of suicide charity the 3Ts (Turn the Tide of Suicide) said the vacuum at the head of the NOSP was quite “telling” of the Government’s attitude to suicide.

“It’s really quite telling that they haven’t appointed somebody yet given the level of concern and urge-ncy we believe this issue deserves,” said Mr Smyth.

“The fact that the key person at the office has not been appointed is very worrying, and we would say that the Government needs to take the whole issue of suicide a lot more seriously.”

Mr Smyth has repeatedly called for the setting up of a Suicide Prevention Authority modelled on the Road Safety Authority.

Suicide prevention was identified as a key public health concern within the Programme for Government. Geoff Day resigned due to resource constraints, despite Health Minister James Reilly saying suicide levels were a “priority for this Government”.

Last night, Mental Health Minister Kathleen Lynch said she had made very strong representations for a replacement to be appointed and she asked that the recruitment process be speeded up.

“We had somebody who we felt was eminently capable and they were offered the job but they didn’t want it, so it wasn’t from the want of trying to fill it,” she said.

In June, while opening the Console Centre for Suicide Bereavement Counselling Services, in Swinford, Co Mayo, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said mental health should not be viewed as “a sort of Cinderella area of the services”.

“It is so central and so sensitive to our communities that it deserves the very best from the Government and that it shall have,” he said.

Funding for the NOSP increased by €3m this year, bringing its budget to just over €7m, half that of the Road Safety Authority, even though far fewer lives are lost on Irish roads.

Figures from the NOSP annual report 2011 show 552 deaths by suicide occurred in 2009, a rate of 12.4 deaths per 100,000 population. The figure marks a record high.

Cork had the highest rate of 15.2 per 100,000 in counties with large urban centres. Carlow had the highest rate overall, at 16.7 per 100,000, while the lowest rates are in Dublin and Sligo respectively (both 8.9 per 100,000).

Preliminary figures for 2011 show 525 deaths due to suicide.