2009-03-05
The Action on Suicide Alliance has learned that the HSE’s National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) is to cut funding to mental health support groups by up to 12.5%.
This year financial support to many different suicide prevention & support groups is set to be reduced, meaning that there will be an inevitable knock-on effect on the quality of service that they will be able to provide.
Increases in calls to support groups such as Aware and Console (amongst others) have been widely reported in the media in the last number of weeks. The Action on Suicide Alliance believes that the current economic climate is having a massive impact on the increasing number of people who find themselves in need of support.
Commenting on the NOSP’s funding cuts, Action on Suicide Alliance Chairman, Paul Kelly said:
“The NOSP couldn’t have picked a worse time to cut funding to mental health groups. The dismal economic climate is having a massive effect on people who are turning to support groups for help now more than ever. Lives could be lost as a result.
In the last month alone the rate of calls to our various member groups’ services has increased considerably. This alone is a clear indication that something urgently needs to be done to reverse this situation. Cutting funding at this point only serves to make our task much more formidable.”
Set up in February 2007 The Action on Suicide Alliance aims to reduce the incidence of suicide and self-harm in Ireland by advocating for Government provision of suicide prevention measures and mental health services.
Indeed, mental health and support groups across the board are reporting significant increases in demand for their services in recent times. Console and Teen-Line Ireland claim that the level of phone calls received from people in need of support has risen by at least 25% since the beginning of December 2008. Reacting to the NOSP’s cuts, Eddie Mahony of Teen-Line said:
“As it stands, we can barely cope with demand and if the HSE’s decision to reduce funding to support groups is implemented then clearly many people will be negatively affected as a result. Those who do suffer are also the ones who are most likely to be in need of help and support.”
