Crisis team urged after spate of suicides in city suburb

The Government has been urged to set up a “crisis response team” to examine a spate of suicides on the south side of Cork City which has seen at least five young adults and teenagers die “in scarcely a month”.

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire called for immediate national intervention to find out what has caused the cluster of tragedies as he revealed he personally knew two of those who have lost their lives.

Speaking during a Fianna Fáil motion debate seeking mental health funding rises, staff increases, and multi-year budgets to ensure resources are not transferred to non-mental health services, he said his community is “frankly at a loss” about what is happening.