Madam, - Contrary to the statement by Dan Neville, TD (September 11th) that "suicide receives very little attention from the Government", my Department has in fact given special attention over the past few years to resourcing of suicide prevention initiatives.
Since the publication of the Task Force report in 1998, a cumulative total of more than €17.5 million has been provided for suicide prevention programmes and for research. Health boards, in particular, are playing a major role in co-coordinating efforts to help reduce the level of suicide and parasuicide. Resource officers have been appointed in all the health boards with specific responsibility for implementing the Task Force's recommendations.
Since 1998, 72 additional consultant psychiatric posts have been approved and significant extra funding has been made available to develop consultant-led child and adolescent psychiatry services to assist in the early identification of suicidal behaviour and provide the necessary support and treatment to individuals at risk.
A national action-oriented strategy for suicide prevention is being prepared jointly by the Health Boards Executive, the National Suicide Review Group and the Department of Health and Children. This will build on existing policy and on the recommendations contained in the Report of the National Task Force on Suicide.
Furthermore, it should be noted that my Department provides €75,000 annually to the organisation which Mr Neville represents, the Irish Association of Suicidology. I am also concerned that Mr Neville writes both as president of that association and as Fine Gael deputy spokesperson on health. Perhaps he can make clear which hat he was wearing when penning this letter; to politicise such a sensitive issue is inexcusable.
Again, I would like to stress that this Government shares the public concern about the level of suicides in this country and is taking measures to reduce the numbers dying in such tragic circumstances. - Yours, etc.,
TIM O'MALLEY, TD, Minister of State, Department of Health and Children, Dublin 2.
Madam, - I know how "non-PC" it is to mention religion. Nowadays there is almost a censorship in connection with the publication of Christian spiritual beliefs.
Nevertheless, I hope you will be open enough, for the sake of our young people, to acknowledge the truth that by marginalising spiritual and moral teachings and beliefs, we have faced many youngsters with a future that seems meaningless.
What is called the "epidemic of suicide" could be reversed by a combination of honourable Government policies and wise spiritual input from the Churches. Countless young boys especially are put under enormous pressure to achieve "laddish" standards or be excluded from society. "Personal freedom" is lauded but the fact is that s/he is only "free" when s/he toes the line dictated by thugs, pop media, sports success and material acquisitions.
It is great to get to a stage of maturity when these pressures can be ignored. Sadly, many children are the victims of modern nihilism. - Yours, etc.,
ANGELA MACNAMARA, Lower Kilmacud Road, Dublin 14.