Report shows 3% rise in suicide rate in last year – Neville

- 457 deaths by suicide in 2004
- 356 men and 101 women took their own lives
- Highest rate of suicide (22%) between ’98 and ’02 was among 15-24 year olds

Fine Gael Deputy Health Spokesperson and President of the Irish Association of Suicidology, Dan Neville TD said today (Friday) that the 2004 Annual Report of the National Suicide Review Group confirmed that the suicide rate had increased again in 2004. Deputy Neville said that resources available for suicide prevention were deeply disappointing and that it was vital that the new National Office for Suicide Prevention was funded to a level which could make real change.

“This latest report makes for grim and distressing reading, especially in that it shows that there has been no serious reduction in suicide rates since the publication of the recommendations of the National Taskforce on Suicide in 1998. Analysis of suicides between 1998 and 2002 shows the average annual number of suicides was 490. It also shows that the rate of death by suicide is 4.5 times higher for men than women. Tragically, 22% of the people who took their own lives in this period were aged between 15 and 24.

“This is the last report of the National Suicide Review Group, as it will be replaced by the National Office for Suicide Prevention, and we thank the group for the work they have done. However, it is extremely disappointing that the group was never financed in a way that could bring real change and it is vital that the new body is funded to a level that can make a real difference to dealing with suicide and attempted suicide.

“Funding for suicide to date has been a pittance in relation to the great need which is out there. I will be calling on the Government in the Dáil next week to clarify the role of the National Office for Suicide Prevention as what is more certain than ever is the urgency of real, comprehensive, professional and resourced input into suicide prevention in Ireland.”