Vol. 492 No. 4
55 Mr. Rabbitte asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress, if any, made to date in implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Suicide; the steps, if any, he proposes to take to deal with the significant increase in suicide, particularly among young men, as identified in recent Central Statistics Office figures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14136/98]
The report of the National Task Force on Suicide which was published in February 1998 put forward a national suicide prevention-reduction strategy and identified the various authorities with jurisdiction in suicide prevention strategies and their respective responsibilities. The action recommended in the report to reverse the incidence of suicide and attempted suicide in set out in a series of recommendations outlined in the report under the following headings: the prevention of suicide and parasuicide; intervention; aftermath and aftercare and research and evaluation.
Since the publication of the report, I have been in contact with my ministerial colleagues in the Departments of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Education and Science, and Environment and Local Government, with a view to implementing the task force recommendations in so far as these Departments are concerned. My Department has also contacted all the statutory agencies identified in the report with jurisdiction in suicide prevention strategies requesting that the necessary measures are put in place to ensure the implementation of the recommendations which relate to their respective areas.
The establishment of a suicide research group by the chief executive officers of the health boards is central to the strategy to prevent and reduce suicide and attempted suicide. The chief executive officers recently established the group and its inaugural meeting took place on 2 June last. The group's main responsibilities include the review of ongoing trends in suicide and parasuicide, the co-ordination of research into suicide and the making of recommendations to the chief executive officers of health boards which will assist in the reversal of the growing incidence of suicide.
The task force identified particular at-risk groups of suicide and recommended that steps be taken to make the mental health services more accessible to the public, particularly to our young people. Concern was also expressed at the risk of suicide in older people. In response to these concerns, I have allocated additional resources towards the development of mental health services for older people and child and adolescent psychiatric services in the current year. It is my intention that services for these groups will continue to be developed over the next few years.
The Deputy may be assured that I am committed to implementing the national suicide prevention-reduction strategy recommended in the report of the National Task Force on Suicide in order to tackle this growing tragedy in our society and my Department will pursue the report's recommendations with the various agencies concerned.
