This is the second time in a month that the Minister of State has come to the House to discuss this important issue. I thank him sincerely. He had an intense interest in this issue prior to his appointment as Minister of State.
The announcement by the Central Statistics Office that 433 people committed suicide last year, an increase of almost 15 per cent, has rightly caused shock in Irish society. Most of these suicides were under 25 years of age and eight were less than 15 years. The Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children must immediately examine this trend. The increasing levels of suicide is no longer just a serious issue, it is a crisis.
Action must be taken immediately. Other states have introduced effective suicide prevention programmes and it is urgent that the Minister follow suit. We must reduce the levels of suicide and ensure that those who feel suicidal can get help from State agencies. This help must be readily and easily contactable for 24 hours a day, every day for the 52 weeks of the year. The recommendations of the national task force on suicide are clear and unambiguous and I call on the Minister to implement them in full immediately. I appreciate that other Departments, such as the Department of the Environment and Local Government, have an involvement in this area.
Last year 433 people in the Republic committed suicide compared to 378 in the previous year. The vast majority of people who took their lives last year were male; 355 men committed suicide compared to 78 women. More 15 to 24 year olds committed suicide than any other age group, with 103 or 23.8 per cent of the total taking their lives in 1997. A further 22.9 per cent of suicides were aged between 25 and 34 years.
The Government must ensure that the training of medical personnel includes recognition and management of suicidal behaviour as an integral part of such training and continuing education. Health boards should immediately establish a directory of voluntary and statutory services for those at risk of suicide. This should be available in all appropriate statutory and voluntary services and in the offices of general practitioners. The Government must introduce proper treatment for the mentally ill who are in prison.
As a result of the recent information becoming available, the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, announced that a national educational and psychological service will be available to all primary and post-primary schools and to the young who are no longer in formal education. That is important because a higher number of young people who leave the education system early commit suicide than those who remain in the system. He also announced that a new social, personal and health education subject will be introduced in the primary curriculum to deal with issues such as self esteem and the need to express feelings. When will this be introduced? At the latest it should be introduced at the start of the next school year.
It is urgent that assistance be provided to young people who leave school early as there is a particularly high rate of suicide in this group. The Minister should make an order that radio and television programmes which deal with suicide and related issues should display helpline numbers and referral information. The Minister must take steps to ensure that the health services, including mental health services, are more accessible to the public, particularly the young who might perceive them as not being readily available to address their needs in times of crisis. This is especially important for remote rural areas where these services are not readily available.
It is vital that all children be taught to swim as part of their general education with a view to enhancing health and preventing accidental drowning as well as suicide. Life saving apparatus should be available at appropriate places where there is easy access to water. All applications for firearms should be carefully scrutinised and the licensing authorities should produce and make available for distribution a code of practice for the safe storage and disposal of firearms. It is also vital that the availability of medicines which are harmful in overdoses be restricted.
On 14 May last, the Minister of State announced the establishment of a suicide research group by the chief executive officers of the health boards. At that time the chief executive officers were in the process of establishing the group. Has it convened? The main responsibility of the group will include a review of the ongoing trends of suicide and parasuicide, co-ordinating research into suicide and making appropriate recommendations to the chief executive officers. How many times has the group met and when will it complete its programme of work?
Adolescence, the period between childhood and adulthood, has gradually been extended during the 20th century. For many it stretches from puberty to the early or mid 20s. The pace of social and cultural change has never been faster. The life expectancy of most jobs is now less than five years and skills can fast become redundant. Individuals must be more and more adaptable. What is an opportunity for some is a threat for others. Stresses affect both young men and young women although males are currently proving less adaptable to changes in their status.
Education which is protective against both suicide and attempted suicide must be broadened, particularly in the case of boys, to encompass the various modern social and domestic conditions. Whereas the physical health of young people might be better in comparison with years ago, the same cannot be said with regard to the social and psychological pressures to which young people are exposed. This is partly due to the increasing instability of family life and a changing sense of personal and family relationships.
In this context, the Minister of State should establish a committee or task force or group to examine the pressures on young people, to determine the range and size of the problems facing them in modern society and to determine the best methods of addressing them from a social, recreational and educational perspective.
