The Fine Gael leader expressed concern about the rising annual suicide rate, particularly among young males.
Mr Enda Kenny said the average number of suicides was now at about 450, which was in excess of the number killed in road accidents. "The victims are, by a ratio of four-to-one, young males, and 85 per cent to 90 per cent of those who commit suicide suffer at some stage from mental illness." He added that last year more than 10,000 people, mostly young persons, presented at accident and emergency units, had attempted suicide.
"This figure does not include those who did not present, or who presented at general practitioners. Does this not indicate a colossal failure of Government to address a fundamental crisis of despair and hopelessness affecting the future generation?"
The Tánaiste, Ms Harney, said she shared Mr Kenny's views. "Suicide among young males is increasing at a frightening rate, and I suppose the saddest thing of all is that many young people who take their own lives do so without ever seeking assistance from experts who may be in a position to help them."
She added that increased resources were being put into the mental health area, whether in the school psychological service, the five new acute centres the Government had opened since 1997, or the additional funding of €1 million by way of revenue increases and €1 million by way of capital increases for the Central Mental Hospital.
Ms Harney said the level of suicide among young people required intervention in families and identification through the school system. "It also requires us, as a society, to be more open in order that young people and adults - suicide does not only affect young people and suicide incidence is high across population thresholds - who feel vulnerable are able to come forward and seek the assistance they require."
Mr Kenny said that while he accepted Ms Harney's feelings were genuine, just 7 per cent of the health budget was spent on mental health. "The targets set out in the 1984 mental health programme have still not been reached. There is no community health service of any real benefit offering the attention and assistance to which the Tánaiste refers." Every school, town, village, parish and street now had its own tale of trauma, tragedy and grief, he added. "I stood recently in a kitchen in a western county to absorb the confusion of parents whose 22-year-old son hanged himself."
