Call for new approach on suicides

A suicide prevention director should be appointed in Northern Ireland, the assembly has been told.

An average of 195 people take their own lives in NI each year, while 4,500 are hospitalised after attempting suicide or deliberately injuring themselves.

An inquiry, by the assembly's health committee, was initiated after a spate of suicides in the County Armagh village of Laurelvale last year.

It said the introduction of a regional suicide helpline was premature.

As well as appointing a director to ensure the government's Protecting Life strategy is prioritised across statutory organisations, the committee made several other recommendations to Health Minister Michael McGimpsey.

Committee chairwoman Iris Robinson said: "Based on the evidence given to the committee, we believe that closer co-operation within and across a range of government departments will enable Protect Life to achieve its goals of preventing suicide and self-harm.

"In addition, we believe that involving churches, local authorities, and sports groups in the delivery of the strategy, as well as ring-fencing project funds for the next three years, will all aid its success."

The health committee found that a pilot helpline for north and west Belfast for people in danger of taking their own lives was rolled out across Northern Ireland before it had been properly evaluated.

It described the decision as "rash".

However, Health Minister Michael McGimpsey said the helpline deals with 200 calls per day and is "about saving lives".

"I took the decision to roll out the service province-wide because of the high volume of calls received by the pilot helpline and because there was clear demand emerging from elsewhere in Northern Ireland," he said.

Among the other recommendations were:

More needs to be done to tackle suicide rates among older people and those living in rural areas;

More training should be provided for people who come into contact with those at risk of taking their own lives.

More governmental departments must play a part in preventing suicide.

The issue was debated in the assembly after the report's finding were outlined.