This article is from page 11 of the 2008-08-19 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 11 JPG
THE rate of suicide in Clare is 12 and a half per cent higher than the national average.
A report by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland found that 13.906 people per 100,000 in the Banner county die by suicide.
The average rate of suicide in the Republic of Ireland is 12.358 accord- ing to the findings.
The all-island report also found that the rate of suicide in the Repub- lic is almost 50 per cent higher than bOmeeom Ceaser
Ireland has also the fifth highest rate of suicide in Europe.
As Clare has the ninth highest sui- cide rate in the Republic, Clare TD Joe Carey (FG) has called for appro- priate levels of funding to be made available to address suicide levels in the county.
“While suicide claims more vic- tims than road deaths each year, the Government provides ten times more funding for road awareness cam- paigns than suicide. The budget al- located is a meagre €3.05m, which is totally inadequate, whereas €40 million is spent annually on road
awareness. The Irish Association of Suicidology believe this figure needs to be increased immediately to €10m. I strongly agree with that assertion,’ he said.
“When we look at the figures, the total number of people who died by suicide in 2006 was 409 – the most recent annual figure – whereas 336 people died on the country’s roads last year. Ireland now has the fifth highest rate of youth suicide in Eu- rope.
“We need to listen to our communi- ty leaders in County Clare, and those at the coal face with voluntary and professional social bodies. We also need to make the finances available in order to develop the work being done on the ground by these people already. Suicide affects every de- mographic type in society, and it is crucial that the reasons why this 1s happening are identified and under- stood, so that society may respond appropriately.
“Undoubtedly, the pressures on young people in Ireland of the 21st century need to be identified and tackled. We can and must do more to ensure the figures released this week do not continue to rise.”