The Government's commitment to tackling suicide has been called in to question after it emerged that the national office charged with preventing the problem was to have its budget for this year frozen at 2007 levels.
The Health Service Executive confirmed today the annual budget for the National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) will remain at €4.5 million for 2008, the same as last year.
Fine Gael's deputy health spokesman Dan Neville said there were a number of high-profile tragedies last year which highlighted problems in accessing mental health services.
Mr Neville is also president of the Irish Association of Suicidology.
"One would have hoped that out of such tragedies would come a growing recognition at Government level that the scandalous underfunding of psychiatric services cannot continue.
However, the impact seems to have been lost on Fianna Fáil and PD Ministers who persist in ignoring the problem," he said.
"I have always said the key to reducing suicide levels is real political will. It is impossible to escape the conclusion that this will is singularly absent from the present Fianna Fáil/PD Government which is showing no signs of reversing the neglect they have been responsible for over the last 10 years."
Mr Neville said his party would increase the budget for the NOSP to €10 million in its first year in government and by €2 million every year for the next five, bringing its budget to €20 million.
Sinn Féin's health spokesman Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said the move "makes a mockery of all the fine words uttered by Minister for Health Harney and her colleagues with regard to suicide prevention and mental health generally".
He called on Ms Harney to clarify her position on the role of the office and the Government's commitment to deal with this major issue in Irish society.
There were 409 deaths in Ireland by suicide in 2006, according to the most recent figures from the Central Statistics Office.