Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 30 Jan 2001

Vol. 529 No. 1

Written Answers. - Suicide Prevention Programme.

Dan Neville

Question:

737 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Health and Children the way in which the £830,000 which was to go towards a suicide prevention programme in the health boards and towards research aimed at understanding suicide and para suicide will be spent; the projects which will be completed; and the benefit expected from the outcome. [2451/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

An additional £830,000 is being provided to health boards for suicide prevention and research. This includes an additional £100,000 for the National Suicide Research Foundation in Cork to support its work for the development of a national parasuicide register. The primary aims of the foundation are to define the true extent of the problem of suicidal behaviour in Ireland; to identify and measure the factors which induce and protect against suicidal behaviour and to develop strategies aimed at preventing suicidal behaviour.

The remaining funding has been allocated to health boards to further progress the implementation of the recommendations of the report of the national task force on suicide. These measures will include the recruitment of additional staff, the provision of staff training in risk assessment, production of information literature and events aimed at raising public awareness of suicide and parasuicide.

Considerable progress has been made to date in the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the task force on suicide. Central to the report was the provision of a national suicide prevention strategy which is now in place. The key components of the strategy are

the implementation of measures aimed at high risk groups,

provision of information and training on suicide prevention to relevant professionals and organisations,

research into suicide prevention.

All health boards have appointed resource officers to further the implementation of the strategy within their own areas. Many of the task force's recommendations require continuous development, particularly in the area of training and in the development of services relating to suicide and suicide prevention.