HEALTH Minister Simon Hamilton has pledged to prioritise funding for suicide prevention services after he revealed that there has been an “unacceptably high” number of sudden deaths.


There are many families in Fermanagh who have lost loved ones as a result of suicide and this week Minister Hamilton said there was a rise in sudden deaths across Northern Ireland last year.


Sinn Fein Fermanagh-south Tyrone MLA Bronwyn McGahan asked him how he intended to address the issue. In his response, Minister Hamilton said the suicide rate has been “relatively constant” over the last eight years “and early indications are that there has been a rise in 2015.”


“The reason for this is not known,” he said. “I will continue to prioritise funding for suicide prevention services such as community-based intervention, Lifeline, training and awareness raising, and bereavement support.”


The Minister said he would ensure “that best practice in suicide prevention is applied in the delivery of mental health services.”


“However, in the longer term, it is necessary to address the broader societal factors that increase the risk of suicide in our communities. These include poverty, unemployment, debt, low educational attainment, violence and anti-social behaviour, and social isolation. 


“In some cases it is also necessary to provide support to families facing challenging circumstances that can impact adversely on childhood development,” he said.


Minister Hamilton told Ms. McGahan that programmes and strategies are in place to address issues and that in a broader sense “these strategies are part of the drive against suicide.”


“I will be meeting with Ministerial colleagues on February 29 to ensure continued cross-departmental engagement on mental health promotion and suicide prevention,” he said.