The Government has been asked to investigate immediately the establishment of a Commission on the Status of Men, to address the factors leading to male suicide.
Fine Gael TD for Dublin South West Mr Brian Hayes said yesterday he was making the call following startling statistics which showed that suicide was now the biggest killer of young men in Ireland.
He said the "new problems" facing men in modern Ireland should be examined and no government in recent times had ever investigated or examined the status of men in our society.
"Have the dramatic changes in Irish society during the past 10 to 20 years produced new and challenging problems for men? If the answer to this question is yes, then it is only sensible that we begin to study the nature and the scope of such change on the lives of men in our society."
Some of the issues to be addressed include suicide, the changing role of the family, education, crime and employment.
Men had much to learn from the great strides made by the women's movement in the second half of the century and the original Commission on the Status of Women had provided an official vehicle for women throughout the State.
That commission heralded many of the changes which occurred but, unlike women, men had never had to create a movement which could either articulate or propose measures to alleviate their problems.
"Men are facing problems in society which they have never had to tackle before. There is a prevailing feeling of loss of identity and purpose. This can lead to disillusionment and disconnection. A Commission on the Status of Men could investigate this disaffection which can, in many tragic cases, lead to crime or, ultimately, suicide," said Mr Hayes.