THE FOUNDER AND CEO of suicide charity Pieta House has said that the “crisis” of suicide is being ignored.
Speaking today as Pieta opened their Pieta House West Tuam centre, Joan Freeman said that if the same numbers were dying on the roads, action would be taken.
“At Pieta House, we are dealing with almost 60 new cases every week, and each week another 10 people are dying by suicide.
“If the government gave suicide the same attention and resources it gives to death on our roads, imagine the difference this would make to communities around Ireland” she said.
Freeman added that she felt suicide is an electioneering issue.
“It appears that suicide is a warm blanket used by our politicians during the cold days of campaigning, only to be shrugged off when elected.
“Next month, our Darkness into Light fundraising event will see almost 100,000 people out walking for suicide prevention – let this be a message to our government,” she said.
Pieta House West Tuam is the result of an extensive two-year fundraising campaign across counties Galway, Roscommon and Mayo which raised in excess of €350,000.
The driving force behind the campaign to open Pieta House in the west was Tuam-based businessman and philanthropist John Concannon who was inspired by a visit to Pieta House Lucan while filming RTÉ’s The Secret Millionaire.
He says that the centre, which aims to support 300 people in its first year, will support people in times of crisis.
Pieta House West is one of four new centres opened by the organisation within the past year, bringing it closer to its goal of providing a service within 100km of everyone in Ireland.
Since the first Pieta House centre opened in Lucan, Co. Dublin in 2006, they have helped more than 11,000 people.
Helplines:
Samaritans 1850 60 90 90 or email jo@samaritans.org
Teen-Line Ireland 1800 833 634
Console 1800 201 890
Aware 1890 303 302
Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie
Childline 1800 66 66 66
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