Thank you for your reply to our
letter re Mr. Mc Daid’s comments and our request for your support in
having The National Task Force on Suicide fully implemented.
At this stage enough has been said
about Mr. Mc Daid’s comments. We have given our views on them and if
anything positive were to come out of the controversy it would be that
the incoming Government would deal with the tragedy of suicide in a more
urgent way.
Your comments on the National Task Force on Suicide are similar to those
contained in a reply by Minister Martin to a question put by Limerick
deputy Jan O’Suillivan (at our request) in an Adjournment Debate on 20th
February 2002.
We had prepared our response to
the minister before the election was announced but decided to hold it
back until after the election. A copy of this response is attached for
you and for the attention of the incoming Minister for Health and
Children. We have also attached a copy of our response to the
mid-Western Health Board’s reply to questions put to them by Jan
O’Sullivan on behalf of the Rosbrien Suicide Awareness Group.
Our comments on the Ministers statement “that the progress in the
implementation of the Task Force recommendations is reflected in the
reduction of suicides over the past two years" were made before the
recent announcement that the number of suicides in Ireland for the year
2001 are higher than 2000.
While we appreciate that you and
the Minister may be of the impression that a lot is being done. We the
families of young suicide victims and families who have children at risk
of suicide, can tell you that we do not have the Mental Health Service
as outlined in the Task Force. It was not there for our young people who
died, at their time of need and it is not there for our children at risk
of suicide now.
We have issued a policy statement
on the task Force Report that deals with other aspects of the report,
which also needs urgent attention. We also enclose a copy of this
statement.
We would request that the new Minister carry out an investigation as to
why the recommendations are not being implemented.
If we as a group of parents
bereaved through suicide can be of any help in this investigation we are
available to do so.
The issue of alcohol abuse is a major social
issue in Ireland and is a factor in a large number of suicides. We also
enclose our policy statement on Binge Drinking.
It would be helpful of a
representative of the Fianna Fail Party took a special interest in the
issue of suicide, as the only politician that we know who takes this
special interest is Dan Neville of Fine Gael and recently Jan
O’Sullivan of Labour has been of great help to us.
The Government should appoint a
national coordinator to coordinate the work of various agencies and
groups working in the area of suicide. We feel that there is a lot of
duplication in gathering information and creating awareness. There is
also an urgent need for a national help line where families and people
in need can access information on available services and support.
May we take this opportunity to
congratulate you and your party on your success in the election.
Yours Sincerely
Billly Doran
Chairman
Derek Higgins Secretary
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Please find enclosed
The Rosbrien Suicide Awareness Group’s policy statement on The
National Task Force Recommendations.
As you can see there
is a lot of anger and disappointment within our group at the lack of
progress in implementing the recommendations. Many individuals and
groups that we have met over the last year have also expressed the same
dissatisfaction with the Mental Health Services.
We know that you will have had complaints with other areas of the health
services and we would ask that this would not be lumped in with the
general dissatisfaction.
In the case of
suicide prevention and counseling the Task force recommendations are
there for over three years now with very little progress on their
implementation. As we wait for the Health Boards to move, people are
dying through suicide at an alarming rate,
(averaging at eight deaths per week with Limerick having one of
the highest numbers of deaths in the country).
We believe that the recommendations of the task force cover all the
areas of concern to the families in our group and the people and other
groups that we have met.
We are also of
the opinion that there should be a national body set up to co-ordinate
the implementation of the Task Force recommendations and the efforts of
some very good voluntary groups working in the area of suicide
prevention and counseling.
We would request that you,
along with the other TD’s in our constituency make every effort both
at national and local level to have the recommendations of the Task
Force implemented in full.
We would also request
that as leader of the Fine Gael Party you would have the tragedy of
suicide in our society debated within your party. If we as a group can
be of any assistance in doing this please do not hesitate in calling on
us.
Yours
Sincerely
Derek
Higgins (secretary)
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We note your comments
on the National Suicide Research Foundation’s Annual Report.
This report
highlights once again the extent of the tragedy of suicide in Ireland.
It also highlights the urgent need for preventative measures to be put
in place.
While we appreciate
the important role of the National Research Foundation we would like to
point out it’s findings are similar to those of the National Task
Force on Suicide report 1998 except that the figures are higher than
expected, particularly for Limerick.
We have been campaigning for the full implementation of the Task Force
recommendations. We have written to the Taoiseach and had a question
raised in an adjournment debate (20th February 2002) by
Deputy Jan O’Sullivan. The reply from Minister Martin is on record and
the reply from the Taoiseach’s office was much the same.
As with your comments
the impression is given that the Health Boards are making progress in
providing services for young people in crises and people at risk of
suicide. As a group made up mainly of families bereaved by suicide we
can tell you that this is not the case, in our experience there has
being little improvement in services since 1998.
As regards to
education and a schools program, there is still no schools program in
place. The only movement here in is the publication of a book “A
Student dies A school responds “ by The MWHB (Mid Western Health
Board). While this publication is helpful it is not a schools program as
envisaged by The Task Force.
There has been some movement in support for families bereaved by suicide
with the publication of a book “you are not alone” and the training
of Suicide Outreach Officers.
This program has potential but is hit and miss at the moment as we have
recently come across bereaved families who have received no support.
One group who is
receiving no support and is most at risk of suicide are the friends of
young suicide victims. The consequences of this is that there are many
communities around the country affected by multiple suicides in their
area in the same way that we have been affected in the Rosbrien area of
Limerick.
We would urgently
request that the Dept. have a serious look at the 1998 Task Force report
as we feel it’s full implementation will reduce the number of suicides
in Ireland and it is a blue print as to how we should tackle the
tragedy.
We also feel that
that the efforts of both the statuary agencies and voluntary groups
should be centrally coordinated.
Enclosed
is a copy of our letter to the Taoiseach and a letter to other party
leaders.
Also enclosed is a copy of The Rosbrien Suicide Awareness Group’s
policy statement on The National Task Force.
No doubt you have been briefed by the H.B. on their efforts to implement
the Task Force report. We would welcome a meeting with you to express
the views of families who have lost loved ones through suicide and
families who have sought help for a family member in crises.
Yours
Sincerely,
Derek
Higgins (secretary)
Billy Doran (chairman)
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