Community action central to tackling suicide, says FG

WATERFORD FINE Gael TD Paudie Coffey revealed that the “loss of six good friends to suicide’’ had spurred his involvement in community action to deal with the growing problem.

He said that through his involvement with his local GAA club, and with the co-operation of the HSE and suicide experts, he and others devised a 10-week course to teach community leaders to identify and assist those at risk.

“The course helped us to understand that it is not always necessary to seek help from a service or agency when people are in need,’’ said Mr Coffey.

“All of us would like a 24/7 service, but a listening ear is most important when people reach that point of desperation.’’

Speaking during the resumed debate on Ireland’s suicide rate, Mr Coffey said nowadays many people’s doors were closed to their neighbours and residents of many housing estates did not know who lived two or three doors away from them.

“That is the result of the society that developed during the Celtic Tiger years.’’

Luke “Ming” Flanagan (Independent) said the consequences of society falling apart, socially and economically, were that more people felt they did not have any choice but to take their lives.

“People are afraid they are going to lose their house and that they will not be able to put food on the table,’’ he added. “That makes people miserable and leads to a downward spiral.’’

Mr Flanagan said people were different but some were a little more different.

He added: “When I was going to school, I was a little more different – perhaps I still am. So be it.

“I had to put up with jibes from people. It put pressure on my life and made me feel insecure about who I was as a person.

“Fifteen years ago, I went to the doctor and told him I was feeling a little depressed. I could not really work out what was wrong.

“Since then, I worked out that perhaps many people in society did not accept me for what I was.

“Fortunately, I have grown up since then and I do not really give a damn about what society thinks.’’ Mr Flanagan said young people should take encouragement from that, adding that “one can be who one is’’.

Mattie McGrath (Independent) called for campaigns to aggressively target depression in young men.

John Browne (Fianna Fáil) said depression did not stop at 5pm on a Friday, and every county needed some kind of contact point, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for sufferers.

Brendan Ryan (Labour) said an average of 10 people lost their lives to suicide weekly, which was more than one person daily. “This is a shocking figure.’’

Mick Wallace (Independent) spoke of his experience while involved in sporting organisations.

He said that over a 2½-year period in Wexford two of his players died by suicide and 45 youths under 25 years took their own lives in the county. Of those, 44 were boys and one was a girl.

Anne Ferris (Labour) said the support services available to deal with the depression and despair caused by job losses were inadequate.

“Sadly, the soaring numbers of those who have taken their own lives does not take into account the number of failed attempts which are estimated to be 10 to 20 times the number who have died.’’

Gerald Nash (Labour) said Ireland’s suicide rate represented “a national emergency’’, adding that it was necessary to break the silence and tackle the stigma surrounding mental health.

Seán Crowe (Sinn Féin) said the last time the issue had been discussed in the Dáil, he had received a telephone call from a friend whose 20-year-old sister-in-law had taken her own life.

“As one does, I turned up at the church as did large numbers,’’ he added. “I do not know how many funerals I have attended of people who have gone down this road.’’

Mary Mitchell O’Connor (Fine Gael) said Amnesty International had cited international evidence showing that treating mental health problems in a community setting, rather than in a hospital, had a much higher success rate.

“Many of the key barriers to mental health treatment, such as cost and stigma, could be reduced if someone suffering from mental health problems could avoid going to hospital and instead be treated in familiar surroundings in their own area.”

Catherine Murphy (Independent) said the level of interest in the Dáil debate reflected the concern about suicide in all communities.

“Suicide does not just occur in poor economic circumstances because there was a very high rate of suicide during the better times,” she said.