More than "strategies" needed to prevent rise in suicides

10.45.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Sun 10th Sep 2006

Alliance Spokesperson for Youth Affairs, Ian Parsley

Alliance Spokesperson for Youth Affairs Ian James Parsley has said the Government's recognition of suicide as an issue to be urgently tackled is welcome, but warned it will take more than strategy documents to halt the rise in young people taking their lives in Northern Ireland.

Responding the Government's launch of the Suicide Prevention Strategy, the North Down Councillor stated: "I commend the Minister for carrying on the work that I had discussed with his predecessor to counter suicides, which are now a greater cause of death among young people even than road accidents.

"However, with the number of suicides rising alarmingly year on year, it will take more than strategy documents and grand words to deal with this issue.

"As soon as the Government talks about 'driving forward', setting up 'implementation bodies' and 'vulnerable people', people rightly start to get worried. What precisely is being 'driven forward'? What is the 'body' to 'implement'? Most of all, who are the 'vulnerable people'?

"The courageous example set by the family of Matthew Lyle shows that suicide can hit anyone, in any family, at any time. We are all

vulnerable! Has this been recognised at all?!

"Suicide will not be dealt with by press statements full of political

correctness. We must aim to prevent the root causes - drugs, mental health difficulties, bullying and so on - so that people do not even get to the stage where suicide is seen as an option. That will take a fundamental policy shift that prioritises victims of crime, mental health provision and maintenance of existing youth counselling services, among many other issues."

ENDS