Co-ordinated action strategy on suicide is now well under way

I WISH to respond to Deputy Dan Neville’s claim (Irish Examiner, April 27) that the recommendations contained in the report of the national task force on suicide published in 1998 have been ignored by the Government.

Contrary to Mr Neville's statement, my department has, in fact, given special attention over the past few years to the resourcing of suicide prevention initiatives.

The level of funding being provided for suicide prevention is now more than 20 times what it was in 1999.

A cumulative total of more than 17.5m has been provided since then towards suicide prevention and for research.

Since the publication of the task force report in 1998, there has been a positive and committed response from both the statutory and voluntary sectors towards finding ways of tackling the tragic problem of suicide.

Resource officers were appointed in all health boards with specific responsibility for implementing the task force's recommendations.

The national suicide review group was established by the chief executive officers of the health boards in 1999.

The purpose of the review board is to co-ordinate research into suicide, to make appropriate recommendations to the Health Service Executive and to liaise with the suicide resource officers in each region.

Many of the recommendations of the task force, however, require continuous development particularly in the area of training and in the development of mental health services.

The health strategy 'Quality and Fairness A Health System for You' includes a commitment to intensify the existing suicide prevention programmes over the coming years.

Work is now well under way on the preparation of a national strategy for action on suicide prevention.

This strategy, which is being prepared by the project management unit, HSE, in partnership with the national suicide review group and supported by the Department of Health and Children, will be action-based from the outset and will build on existing policy.

All measures aimed at reducing the number of deaths by suicide will be considered in the context of the preparation of this strategy, which will be published later this year.

I would again like to stress that the Government shares the public concern about the level of suicides in this country.

I am fully committed to the further implementation of suicide prevention initiatives and the further development of our mental health services.

Tim O'Malley

Minister of State

Department of Health and Children

Hawkins House

Dublin 2