There are an average of three suicide deaths and 100 self-harm admissions to hospitals in the Southern Health Board region every weekend, a senior doctor has said.
An extension of the board's suicide helpline to a 24-hour service would lead to a reduction in these figures, the vice-chairwoman of the Southern Health Board, Dr Catherine Molloy, has said.
The present helpline closing time of 10 p.m. was no help to those feeling suicidal at 10 minutes past the hour, she added.
She told a health board meeting that the National Suicide Research Centre had found most patients who had attempted to end their own lives or had done themselves harm were seen at A&E units between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Dr Molloy said if a 24-hour helpline was in place some of those deaths and admissions might be prevented.
Up to 2003 there were, on average, 450 deaths from suicide and 10,000 cases of self-harm admissions to hospitals throughout the State.
The money spent on suicide prevention was only one-fifth of that spent on trying to avert road deaths, Dr Molloy said.
The health board programme manager, Mr Pat Madden, said the rationale for the helpline hours was research which indicated that the busiest period for suicide and self-harm was during the early hours of the night. He said the board's helpline had dealt with 673 calls last year, about one-third of which involved suicidal ideation.
The helpline was not a counselling service but one where people feeling suicidal or concerned friends could talk in confidence to mental health professionals.
He said the board was carrying out an evaluation of calls over a two-year period and any decision on extending the helpline hours would be based on the review's results, which would be complete possibly in September.
Dr Molloy also called on the Southern Health Board to set up direct telephone access for children.
Only one in five calls to the national childline service was being answered because of lack of funding and a lack of volunteers.
"If a child wants to access help in the Southern Health Board they have to walk into an office," Dr Molloy said.
The abuse of children in industrial schools in the past was now well known, and the next generation of children at risk would not forgive the board and could rightly accuse it of doing nothing, Dr Molloy said.
Meanwhile, members of the health board and the chief executive expressed uncertainty about the future of the board and what would replace it.
Mr Seán Hurley, chief executive of the Southern Health Board, said he had no doubt there was concern among the public about "the democratic deficit" which would ensue with the dissolution of the health boards. He did not know what lay ahead.
Members had received no letter of dissolution and the July meeting would go ahead unless they heard formally that the board was to be dissolved.
The executive structure was to be in place until December 31st, the meeting heard.
Mr George Mullan, medical representative on the board, said it was impolite "that those of us who sit here have been told sweet Fanny Adams" about when they were to be dissolved as a board.
Mr Damien Wallace of Fianna Fáil, the chairman, said the board was not dissolved.
A decision had been taken to legislate for the dissolution but it remained for the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to communicate the date of implementation of the bill.