Mental Health Reform, Ireland’s national coalition for mental health welcomes the publication of Ireland’s Strategy to Reduce Suicide and Self-Harm – Connecting for Life: 2026 – 2035, Ireland’s new 10-year suicide and self-harm reduction strategy.
The strategy, launched by An Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, Minister of Health, Jennifer Carroll McNeill and Minister of State for Mental Health Mary Butler and Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, Kevin Moran, aims to deliver a sustained reduction in suicide and self-harm, ensuring that people have access to timely, compassionate, and effective supports.
Dr Louise Rooney, Policy & Research Manager, Mental Health Reform said: “Suicide can impact every part of society – affecting families, workplaces, schools, and entire communities. Preventing suicide is a national issue that requires strong leadership, collaboration and collective action.
Ireland’s new suicide and self-harm reduction strategy recognises the importance of a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to address the wide range of factors that influence suicide and self-harm. It reflects a growing understanding that public awareness, early intervention and community supports can save lives.
We welcome the strategy’s focus on addressing the social determinants of suicide and self-harm. There is a significant need for targeted interventions for priority groups, including prisoners, Travellers, people who are homeless, neurodiverse persons and LGBTQIA+ persons. The commitment to develop targeted information and training for these groups is an important step in supporting communities who are most at risk of suicide and self-harm.
Prevention and early intervention are central to reducing suicide and self-harm. The strategy’s emphasis on stigma reduction, school-based education and mental health promotion is particularly welcome. The commitment to coordinated action across government, statutory services and the voluntary and community sector will help to enhance mental health outcomes for communities across the country.
Mental Health Reform has consistently highlighted the need for stronger crisis supports in communities and healthcare settings. We welcome the commitment to expanding crisis supports including Solace Cafes, Suicide Crisis Assessment Nurses (SCAN) to support GPs, as well as dedicated mental health nursing teams in emergency departments. These services will support the delivery of more responsive, trauma-informed care for people experiencing crisis.
We look forward to working with the Government, the HSE and our members to support the implementation of this vital strategy over the coming years.”
Notes
Connecting for Life: Ireland’s Strategy to Reduce Suicide and Self-harm, Connecting for Life: 2026–2035 is available here.
The new strategy builds on more than a decade of progress under Connecting for Life, Ireland’s suicide reduction policy for 2015 – 2024. It has been informed by an extensive public consultation process, which received almost 2,000 submissions, including contributions from members of the public and organisations through a series of focus groups.