Sinn Féin spokesperson on Mental Health, Mark Ward TD, has called for increased supports for suicide prevention, as yearly figures remain ‘shockingly high’.

The Dublin Mid-West TD was speaking following the release of the 2020 suicide figures by the Central Statistic Office (CSO) earlier this week.

Teachta Ward said:

“This week the CSO released figures on the amount of suicide deaths for 2020, which stood at 504.

“This is the 13^th year in a row that suicide figures are above 500. One death by suicide is too many and this trend cannot be allowed to continue.

“We have seen waiting lists from CAMHS to adult mental health services increase year on year since this Government was formed.

“This is the second Budget in which the National Clinical Programme for Self-Harm and Suicide Prevention has not received additional funding and so cannot expand.

“Death due to suicide was the number one cause of death in 2020 for those aged 15 to 34 years of age. Youth mental health services are a priority for Sinn Féin, they have been neglected for far too long by Government.

“We have seen thousands of people presenting to emergency departments with mental health difficulties because they feel there is nowhere else to go.

“Even though mental health services are in crisis, there is help out there. I’d encourage anyone in difficulty to reach out to friends, to families, to their GP.

“We need to see investment in mental health services finally increase so that people can receive services when and where they need them and so that there are fewer people in crisis.

“This crisis of suicide deaths cannot be allowed to continue.”