Ógra Shinn Féin fully support Suicide Prevention campaign

National Organiser of Ógra Shinn Féin, Barry McColgan says that the youth movement fully supports, a campaign launched today by the Action on Suicide Alliance. They are calling on political parties to give a commitment to implement suicide prevention measures if elected to Government.

Speaking earlier McColgan said,

"Suicide is the biggest killer of our young people, it is a National crisis which every party across Ireland, should be united in tackling. Suicide Prevention urgently demands added resources and funding, at the outset of our Suicide Prevention campaign we demanded the creation and implementation of an effective all-Ireland suicide prevention strategy."

"We also called upon the British and Irish governments to take immediate steps towards implementing a national strategy that will promote an integrated, fully resourced, and holistic prevention strategy across all 32 counties of our nation. So that these tragic and preventable deaths become less common and hopefully a thing of the past.'

"We re-iterated that call on Sunday when we launched our youth manifesto for the upcoming 26 County General Election. It is a disgrace in a nation blighted with such tragic and preventable deaths, that the standing Health Minister Mary Harney, allocated only 1.85 million Euro, compared to the 18 million that has been freed up in Scotland to deal with this crisis."

"In our youth election manifesto we also proposed that there be increased provision of mental health facilities for young people, that the Mental Health Act 2001 be fully implemented and that the recommendations of the Government's Mental Health Expert as set out in their report A Vision For Change (2006) also be implemented."

"We in Ógra Shinn Féin fully support the demands of the Action on Suicide Alliance and all the other community, voluntary and youth groups working to combat the tragedy of Suicide."