More cash to tackle mental health

Fianna Fáil TD for Sligo-Leitrim Marc Mac Sharry says the Government’s approach to mental health is falling well short of what’s needed to effectively address the issue. The latest statistics from the HSE’s Office of Suicide Prevention found that there were 399 suicides in 2016. The figures also reveal that over 8,900 people who had self-harmed attended hospital last year.

Deputy Mac Sharry commented: “While I welcome the slight drop in the suicide figures for last year, this should not give the Government a pass to sit back and think that its policy on mental health is working. It’s not.

“The numbers of people, particularly women in their 20s, who are self-harming, is on the rise, and there are serious problems in the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service.

“The HSE Office of Suicide Prevention says more than €11.8 million was invested in suicide prevention in 2016. This is not near enough.

“If this Government is serious about mental health and suicide prevention it needs to commit more funding and resources to these areas.”