HSE aware of high level of suicides in community
By Mary Dennehy
THE HSE is “aware” of the high level of suicides within the Tallaght area over the last 12 months, with 50 per cent of known suicides in the past year being women – many of whom are young mothers.
At this week’s meeting of the Regional Health Forum (Dublin Mid-Leinster), councillor Charlie O’Connor asked for assurances that mental health services in Tallaght are being properly resourced to respond to the genuine concerns of the community.
HSE is "aware" of high level of suicides in Tallaght
The Fianna Fail councillor also asked that the health forum expresses its “serious concerns” regarding the reports of multiple suicides in the Tallaght area.
According to information provided at the meeting, there are currently three Suicide Resource Officers working in community healthcare in the forum’s catchment area of Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow.
The Dublin South officer, who covers Dublin City Council, south of the Liffey, Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and South Dublin County Council, responded to 37 suicides in 2017.
Replying to Cllr O’Connor’s motion, David Walsh, the Chief Officer of the Dublin South, Kildare and West Wicklow health forum said: “[We] are aware of the high level of suicides within the Tallaght area over the last 12 months.
“There have been a number of responses both to individual suicides in terms of supports to families in the aftermath of suicide and at community level.”
Some of these responses include; individual support to children bereaved by suicide, support to community members through primary care psychology and linking families and members of the communities with appropriate services in the aftermath of suicide.
Services have also worked with agencies who contacted the HSE with concerns around families bereaved by suicide and are working with organisations in identifying trends in relation to polydrug use and suicide.
Mr Walsh’s reply continued: “Death by suspected suicides in Tallaght, as in the rest of Dublin South, are showing a presentation that is contrary to national data on suicide, and is a new phenomenon.
“Suicides in Dublin South [which includes South Dublin County Council, Dublin City south of the Liffey and Dun Laoghaire –Rathdown] and in the last 12 months have been 50 per cent male and 50 per cent female; many of the females being mothers of young children.”
He added: “A number of impacts on suicide risk are presenting in Dublin South including polydrug use of cocaine, gabapentinoids [painkillers] and alcohol, domestic violence, social media, homelessness, adverse childhood experience and criminal activity within communities (in particular drug debt intimidation).”
Assurances
Speaking with The Echo after the meeting, Cllr Charlie O’ Connor said: “I made the point during the meeting that there is a lot of detail and information in the reply.
“However, what I was actually looking for was absolute assurances.
“My motion was very Tallaght specific but the reply was not and while I am concerned about suicides across all areas, I was bringing forward the concerns of my community.
“I will be coming back to this again, and myself and Mayor Paul Gogarty will be raising the subject in the council.”
If you require support, contact Samaritans 24 hour Freephone helpline 116123, Pieta House LoCall helpline 1800 247 247, or Childline at 1800 66 66 66.
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