Robinson speaks on suicide prevention

The Limavady area has suffered from a high suicide rate in recent years. Mr Robinson said: “I speak in the debate with great respect for the families who have lost members in the tragic circumstances that the debate covers. All Members, including me, have constituents who have been affected and who wish to see maximum effort expended to prevent further tragedies.

“We must never lose sight of the fact that numbers and statistics about suicide all come down to one thing: people. They are real people who are cherished by their families but who, for whatever reason, take this tragic course of action that leaves devastation in its wake.

“We must also acknowledge that some cases cannot be attributed to a specific incident or prevailing circumstances. I also take the opportunity to echo the plea of the Health Minister during the recent severe weather to anyone who has been severely affected by the prevailing conditions to seek help if they feel that they cannot cope.

“As everyone understands, current circumstances are extreme and have deeply traumatic effects on some individuals. We would all welcome any move that would reduce the rate of suicide.

“The Minister is committed to that reduction. On Tuesday 26 June 2012, the Minister stated: ‘Tackling suicide in our society remains a priority ... and I am fully committed to continually seeking ways of reducing this tragic loss of life.’ The words are clear, strong and, for me, very welcome.

“The more we understand of the reasons for suicide, the better we can prevent the ultimate tragic act. I take this opportunity to appeal to anyone who has suicidal tendencies to speak to someone about their concerns. There are great organisations that do sterling work in suicide prevention.

“In that statement, the Minister also acknowledged how the refreshed Protect Life suicide prevention strategy set a new aim to reduce the differential in the suicide rate between deprived and non-deprived areas, particularly for males in the 15-to-45 age group.

“Those groups seem to be more prone to taking drastic action and identifying them and addressing their concerns has real potential to see the annual total of lives lost reduced.

“I note that criticism has been made of the Protect Life strategy, but I understand that there is verbal evidence that, due to that strategy, people have been prevented from taking that last tragic step. I believe that those accounts are successes. It must be highlighted that, since 2006, figures have remained generally level, but I agree that more still needs to be done, as they are still unacceptably high in Northern Ireland.

“I also noted that there is an emphasis on greater interdepartmental co-operation and that the Minister was struck by my colleagues’ willingness to be involved. That cross-party and interdepartmental approach is essential and very welcome in tackling the rate of suicide in Northern Ireland.

“The £3 million wasted each year on hoax calls to the emergency services could fund an excellent programme of prevention. Perhaps those who make such calls should remember that that money could be better spent on suicide awareness programmes.

“I want to see the suicide rate in Northern Ireland fall, and I will support effective measures to ensure that that happens. We must remember that our neighbouring countries are seeing a fall in numbers.”