On behalf of the members of the Heath, Social Services and Public Safety Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly, I thank the committee for inviting us today. The meeting has been interesting thus far and I am sure it will remain so.
Our committee has been in existence since last May, at which time devolved government returned to Stormont. This was a very positive step and I supported it wholeheartedly despite some of the negative remarks from some of the media. I am conscious that the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children has been in existence for an even shorter period, that is, from November. Although both committees are in existence for a relatively short period, ours is already starting to have an impact. Ours, like this one, has identified a number of priorities.
The first priority concerns mental health and learning disability. This area has been described as the Cinderella of the health service and has been neglected badly over many years. The spotlight has been focused on the issue by the publication of the Bamford Review of Mental Health and Learning Disability in Northern Ireland. It is a comprehensive and wide-ranging review that produced ten separate reports on different aspects. The committee is taking a keen interest in how its recommendations will be implemented. I refer not only to securing the necessary resources but also to how the numerous recommendations will be prioritised and put into operation.
The committee considers it can make the greatest impact through committee inquiries. By undertaking an inquiry, the committee can set its own agenda and select an area or issue for detailed examination, and then make strong recommendations to our Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety.
The first inquiry focused on health care-associated infections, mainly MRSA. This has caused grave concern among many, particularly those who have gone into hospital, even for minor operations. In September, the committee decided it should put that inquiry on hold for a time while carrying out an urgent inquiry into the growing scourge of suicide, particularly among younger people.
The issue of hospital infections has returned to the glare of publicity in Northern Ireland following an outbreak of clostridium dificile in Antrim Area Hospital. Just last week the committee called in the chief executives of the health trusts to question them on the extent of the outbreak and the actions being taken to tackle it.
On the 24-hour helpline referred to by Senator Mary White, this morning we visited Pieta House, a charitable organisation. This State already has something on its doorstep that should be funded as a mainstream project because it is doing excellent work. In the two years since its establishment, 1,100 people have passed through the doors and not one of those who wanted to engage in self-harm or was contemplating suicide followed through in this regard. This figure alone demonstrates how well the project is doing. The chief executive, Joan Freeman, stated suicide is not just a health issue or political problem but that it is also a community problem. The project needs to be considered with a view to being supported by the Government. I pay tribute to those involved in the Pieta House project.
The committee inquiry into the prevention of suicide and self-harm is the main reason for our visit to Dublin today but I am sure there are many other issues of concern to our two communities. I hope we will have an opportunity to explore some of them today. On our suicide inquiry, we are nearing the end of our evidence-gathering phase and hope to produce a report shortly after Easter. We have received approximately 65 written submissions and have taken oral evidence from a range of organisations, not just those in the field of health. For example, the leaders of the four main churches were before our committee to discuss the role the churches can play in preventing suicide and dealing with bereaved families. Interesting issues arising from that meeting revolved around the training of the clergy and clerical students and how the stigma associated with suicide and mental illness must be tackled. Churches can also play an important role through their work with youth groups, scouts and guides.
Last November we visited Scotland to see what suicide strategy was in place. It was called "Choose Life" and has been in place for a few years, and it is therefore well ahead of that in Northern Ireland. We learned a number of valuable lessons from the Scottish experience. Our visit to Dublin presents an opportunity to hear from the Minister and departmental officials about the Reach Out strategy and its impact to date with a view to comparing it with the action being taken in Northern Ireland. We are aware of the considerable co-operation that exists through the joint cross-Border action plan, which exists at both ministerial and strategic levels to tackle the issues of suicide and self-harm.
One of the main issues for our committee has been examining the level of stakeholder involvement in drawing up and implementing the strategy. There are many family and community groups throughout Northern Ireland working to support vulnerable people and provide support to bereaved families. Our visit to Pieta House in Lucan was very interesting and informative and demonstrated how stakeholders are involved in the Reach Out strategy. Our committee is called the Committee for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, which covers a wide range of issues. I look forward to a fruitful discussion on some of our common issues and hope we can draw on each other's experiences to act in areas of mutual interest, to help those who suffer and need compassion and tender loving care.
