FG attacks failure to address high suicide levels

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny has attacked the Government’s failure to address the high level of suicides in Ireland.

Mr Kenny told the Dáil today that 10,000 people attempted suicide in Ireland last year, a sign that the Government’s suicide prevention policies were a “colossal failure”.

The Fine Gael leader said the Government had failed to meet targets set out in the 1984 Mental Health Programme, had failed to implement most of the recommendations made by the National Task Force on Suicide in 1998 and had failed to establish community services of real benefit to suicidal people.

The Tánaiste, Mary Harney, admitted that more needed to be done to address the problem, but said resources alone would not be enough.

She also promised that the Government would give suicide prevention the priority it deserved.