Harney links suicide to recession

Minister for Health Mary Harney has said there is a "strong link" between the current economic climate and the sharp rise in the number of people taking their own lives.

Speaking at the announcement of a funding programme for organisations working in suicide prevention and care for the homeless, Ms Harney said the age profile of those dying by suicide has changed with an increase in older people killing themselves due to financial strains.

"Clearly there has to be a strong link between our economic circumstances and suicide," said Ms Harney.

"Suicide as we know has increased dramatically over the past 12 months, it is up 25 per cent, which is incredible. The profile of those dying by suicide is also changing," she added.

Ms Harney was speaking at a conference at the ESB's head office in Dublin to mark the company's ElectricAid Ireland initiative, a €1million funding provision for support organisations.

The scheme, which was set up by ESB staff in 2005, has given over €5 million in funds to 522 projects across the island of Ireland over the past five years, and today announced further funding for organisations for 2011.

Paying tribute to support groups working in the area of suicide prevention, Ms Harney revealed that two people in her own circle of friends had recently been affected by suicide and said the impact on them was devastating.

"The tragedy left for families and individuals is immense. It's said that people never get over it. They learn to live with it due to good professional help, but they never get over it."

Ms Harney said she would be holding a series of meetings with support organisations over the coming weeks to see if closer collaboration between such groups was possible "to make resources go further".

"In recent times, notwithstanding the pressures that everyone is under, there's a great spirit of wanting to give things back and of wanting to help and we cannot do enough as a society to help promote suicide prevention," she concluded.