Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 28 May 1991

Vol. 409 No. 1

Written Answers. - Suicide Statistics.

Gerard Brady

Ceist:

137 Mr. G. Brady asked the Minister for Health whether he has any evidence to support the view that the number of suicides has increased in recent years; and if he will give a detailed breakdown on the sex and age group of suicide cases over the past 20 years.

Minister for Health (Dr. O'Hanlon)

Details of the number of recorded deaths by suicide during the period 1970-90 are set out in the following table.

The table indicates that there have been some considerable fluctuations in the number of recorded suicides over the last decade. The number reached a peak of 283 in 1986 but fell in the three subsequent years before rising again in 1990. While the figures are significantly higher than those for earlier years, particularly during the early seventies, it is generally accepted that there was a large degree of under-reporting of suicide at that time.

The problem of obtaining accurate statistics on suicide is recognised internationally. The stigma associated with suicide and a desire to spare relatives further anguish are factors in this regard.

Recent Irish studies in which the Central Statistics Office has co-operated suggest that, in the areas examined, the official Irish statistics understated the actual number of suicides by, at most, 15-20 per cent.

Suicides in Ireland, 1970-1989.

Age/Year	0-14 Years	Total	15-34 Years	Total	35-54 Years	Total	55 + Years	Total	All Ages	Total
	M.	F.		M.	F.		M.	F.		M.	F.		M.	F.
1970	—	—	—	13	1	14	12	4	16	19	3	22	44	8	52
1971	—	—	—	17	5	22	24	10	34	18	7	25	59	22	81
1972	—	—	—	19	5	24	21	13	34	25	7	32	65	25	90
1973	—	—	—	20	8	28	23	12	35	33	9	42	76	29	105
1974	—	—	—	34	7	41	30	10	40	28	9	37	92	26	118
1975	—	—	—	42	15	57	32	15	47	30	14	44	104	44	148
1976	—	—	—	44	12	56	40	20	60	45	22	67	129	54	183
1977	1	—	1	45	16	61	28	22	50	24	15	39	98	53	151
1978	1	—	1	44	20	64	36	17	53	25	20	45	106	57	163
1979	1	—	1	62	15	77	32	14	46	50	19	69	145	48	193
1980	2	1	3	43	23	66	60	24	84	38	25	63	143	73	216
1981	—	—	—	64	17	81	56	29	85	38	19	57	158	65	223
1982	1	—	1	71	12	83	53	24	77	53	27	80	178	63	241
1983	2	—	2	94	23	117	50	26	76	56	31	87	202	80	282
1984	1	1	2	62	18	80	47	28	75	54	21	75	164	68	232
1985	1	—	1	95	14	109	51	24	75	69	22	91	216	60	276
1986	2	—	2	81	20	101	72	23	95	62	23	85	217	66	283
1987	—	1	1	68	15	83	54	21	75	63	23	86	185	60	245
1988	—	—	—	97	19	116	36	32	68	62	20	82	195	71	266
1989*	—	—	—	80	12	92	65	25	90	48	25	73	193	62	255
1990*	3	—	3	88	26	114	85	25	110	58	26	84	234	77	311

*Provisional data.

Source: Central Statistics Office.