Samaritans answer 2.9m calls since 2014; charity to play crucial role in new mental help phone service

The Samaritans will play a crucial role in the development of a national telephone service that will direct callers to the most suitable mental health service.

Minister for Mental Health and Older People Jim Daly said the new service is due to be launched later this year. It comes as it emerged that Samaritans volunteers in Ireland answered almost three million calls since the launch of a freephone helpline number five years ago.