Increased suicide prevention supports needed for Waterford

On the eve of the Darkness into Light fundraising event for Pieta Hosue, Liadh Ní Raida added her voice to calls for increased intervention measures for suicide prevention in Waterford. Ní Riada was speaking following a meeting with De La Salle teacher Enda Doherty, who will next month walk from Belfast to Waterford with a washing machine on his back to raise money for Pieta House and to combat the stigma around suicide.

“Organisations like Pieta House provide a crucial service in our communities. Intervention and ongoing support make a real difference in the lives of people suffering with depression. Suicide is wreaking havoc on families and communities across Ireland, and we need to provide every support we can to those who need it. Suicide is particularly prevalent amongst young men, who are often the least likely to reach out and seek help.

“Enda will embark next month on a trek from Belfast to Waterford to raise funds for Pieta House and has been vocal in calling for an intervention service in the city. Pieta House offers a professional one-to-one therapeutic service free of charge to people experiencing suicidal ideation, who have attempted suicide, or are engaging in self-harm.

“Enda is a credit to Waterford, and a fine example of community activism and concern. In the days leading up to his marathon walk across the country he will join me in Brussels to highlight his concerns on suicide and mental health issues as part of a delegation I will host.

Over thirty people involved in the Mental Health field in Ireland, including those involved in promotion and prevention, practitioners, advocates and campaigners, academics and those with personal experience of mental illness will travel to the European Parliament on June 2nd to take part in a series of roundtable meetings, with policy-makers, researchers, campaigners, civil society groups, and, crucially, with each other.