Suicide prevention spend a crying shame: Coronor

A coroner has described as “a crying shame” the amount of State spending on suicide prevention.

Despite far more deaths from suicide than traffic accidents, the Government is spending 10 times more money on road safety than on suicide prevention.

The matter was highlighted yesterday by coroner Terence Casey whose area, South Kerry, has one the highest levels of suicide in the country — 11 since this time last year.

He said it was a crying shame the Government was not spending more in dealing with the suicide crisis.

“Voluntary bodies and charities are doing great work in relation to suicide but they need a lot more help from the state,” said Mr Casey.

Mr Casey yesterday attended the opening of a centre in Tralee by Console, the national suicide charity.

Based in premises acquired from the Sisters of Mercy at Baloonagh, the centre provides professional counselling, a range of community-based supports and a 24-hour helpline.

Most recent official statistics show 26 people died from suicide in all of Co Kerry in 2011, with 148 men and 148 women presenting to emergency departments after deliberate self-harm.

Console founder and chief executive Paul Kelly, who lost his sister Sharon to suicide in 2002, said the charity was committed to helping people who lost loved ones and to preventing further tragedies.

He said the centre only offers counselling services, a departure from traditional suicide bereavement measures.

“The centre will be aimed at providing resources, referral and advice to those in crisis or at risk of suicide,’’ Mr Kelly said. “It will also provide free services to families tasked with supporting a loved one in suicidal crisis or after a suicide attempt.”

Separately, Console has reported an increase in calls to its 24-hour rural stress helpline for the Cork/Kerry region due to the recent cattle fodder crisis.