Report says half of drownings last year were suicide

Almost half of the drownings in Ireland last year were suicides, according to the latest annual report from the Irish Water Safety Association.

The report says 131 drownings were recorded during 2006, 63 of which were suicides.

The cause of another 15 deaths could not be determined.

Elsewhere, the report says the number of people who drowned in 2005 and 2006 was the lowest since 1965.

However, Irish Water Safety says this figure is still unacceptably high and could be reduced if members of the public listened to basic safety advice.