Government Concern as 3 teens commit suicide in 2 weeks
Irish Examiner - Wed 29th Mar 06
By Eoin English

The Government must make tackling suicide a political  priority, the President of the Irish Assoc of Suicidology said last night.  The comments from Dan Neville follow the  deaths of 3 teenage girls in the past two weeks. 

Dr Neville has called for more research into the rising incidents of female suicide and for substantial investment in suicide prevention programmes and in the state's child psychiatric services.

"The service is appalling" he said.  "There is no dedicated service for 16 to 19 year olds. "Just 7% of our total health budget.  In 1997 it was 11%.. "In Scotland, they spend 18% of their health budget on psychiatric services and their suicide rates have dropped by 12%." "It will also spend €22 Million on road safety yet a third less died on the roads last year than those who died by suicide," he said.  In Scotland almost €10 Million was spent on similar programmes.