Bernard Allen
Ceist:251 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children the plans he has to deal with the problem of suicide among young people; and the psychiatric services available in this regard. [4765/01]
Written Answers. - Suicide Incidence.
An additional £830,000 is being provided to health boards this year 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 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.