Dear Editor, 

The Rosbrien Suicide Awareness Group is a Limerick based group made up of families and friends of young people who have died by suicide and people at risk of suicide.
We note with great interest your article (9^th October) on the National Suicide Research Foundation’s annual report and your heeding “Limerick has higher rate of suicide attempts”. 

We have been campaigning for the full implementation of the National Task Force on Suicide Report 1998, which was a comprehensive look at the whole issue of the tragedy of suicide in Ireland. 

The Mid-Western Health Board has not seriously dealt with any of these recommendations. We do not have a schools program in place.
We have heard recently from a doctor’s conference on suicide that they have not received special training on suicide issues.

There is no Multi-disciplinary psychiatric service in Limerick, we still have the same inadequate service we had prior to 1998.
We know of cases where patents have been treated medically after attempted suicide and discharged with out any psychiatric assessment.
There has been some movement in support for bereaved families but the friends of young suicide victims who are considered to be a high risk group are not catered for. 

While we appreciate the importance of the National Suicide Review Group and it’s findings. We feel that the extent of the tragedy of suicide is now apparent to all and any further money been made available to suicide prevention should go into providing adequate services particularly for young people in crises and at risk of suicide. 

Your heading is of no surprise to use given the lack of services available and maybe this is the reason why the figures for Limerick are so high