Vol. 567 No. 1
309 Mr. R. Bruton asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps he has taken to confront the growing problem of suicide; if he and the relevant authorities under his control have considered a nationwide advertising campaign to highlight this problem to key target groups; his plans to provide funding for organisations which deal in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13456/03]
My Department has, over the past few years given special attention to the resourcing of suicide prevention initiatives. Additional revenue funding of €0.655 million has been provided this year for suicide prevention programmes. Therefore, since the publication of the report of the national task force on suicide in 1998, a cumulative total of more than €13 million has been provided towards suicide prevention programmes and for research. This includes funding to support the work of the National Suicide Review Group, The Irish Association of Suicidology and the National Suicide Research Foundation for its work in the development of a national parasuicide register.
Additional funding has also been made available to further develop child and adolescent psychiatry, adult psychiatry and old age psychiatry services to assist in the early identification of suicidal behaviour and to provide the necessary support and treatment to individuals at risk.
I have been advised that campaigning nationally to highlight the problem of suicide is a sensitive issue due to the fear of normalising suicidal behaviour. Such a campaign is best conducted in the context of wider mental health promotion campaigns. In this regard my Department supports the ongoing work of many organisations such as Mental Health Ireland, Grow, AWARE and Schizophrenia Ireland in raising public awareness of mental health issues.
I assure the Deputy that this Government shares the public concern about the level of suicide in this country. I am fully committed to the intensification of suicide prevention initiatives and the further development of our mental health services, as resources become available.
