Suicide Claiming 800 Lives Per Year in Ireland
It has been revealed that five people took their own lives in Galway over the course of just one recent weekend. These individual tragedies will be added to the grim statistical data that reveals the scale of the suicide problem in Ireland. In 2012 alone 785 people took their lives across Ireland (Samaritans report based on data recorded by CSO and NISRA). Research also reveals that suicide rates generally (and youth suicide rates in particular) in Ireland are amongst the highest in Europe.
Éirígí does not purport to have any specific expertise in relation to the complex causes of suicide or the unique set of circumstances that leads an individual to take their own life. We simply want to extend our sympathies to the thousands of families who have suffered from the devastation of suicide and do our bit to highlight the scale of the epidemic that is gripping our nation.
Éirígí also calls upon the administrations in Stormont and Leinster House to provide the funding that is needed for state and NGO organisations to provide the necessary support to those who are contemplating suicide and to families and communities that are dealing with the aftermath of such tragedies.
At an individual level we can all educate ourselves on suicide-related issues and what to do if we are worried about someone that we know. Pieta House, The Samaritans and many other organisations have websites and other educational resources that can be easily accessed by the general public for this purpose.
Collectively we can work to create a more caring, less individualistic and judgemental society that does not stigmatise those with mental health issues.