Connecting for Life: Ireland’s National Strategy to Reduce Suicide 2015 - 2024

This webpage contains information or content relating to suicide and/or self-harm, that some people could find triggering. For example;

• You could find it upsetting or disturbing
• You could overly identify with it - personally or professionally
• It might have a negative impact on you in other ways.

With this in mind, it is advised that you:

• Are mindful and aware of your own needs and self-care in this space
• Take a break at any point you feel you need to

If you are concerned about your mental health or that of someone you know, please access the HSE website www.yourmentalhealth.ie.This website is a ‘one-stop-shop’ portal for people seeking information on trusted mental health supports and services, including information on accessing urgent help.

Connecting for Life, Ireland’s national strategy to reduce suicide has been extended by the government for a further 4 years to 2024. This demonstrates the government’s commitment to addressing suicide and self-harm in our communities.

Since 2015, Connecting for Life has provided a comprehensive plan, based on the best international evidence, for how we can reduce levels of suicide in our country. Achieving the outcomes set out in Connecting for Life remains a complex undertaking. Nevertheless, evidence and experience from around the world shows that measurable improvements in suicide prevention and self-harm can be made by involving the whole community, the whole of government and all of society working in unison.

The extension of the national strategy to 2024 provides an opportunity to advance many already-established, locally based Connecting for Life implementation structures throughout the country, and to continue to reduce the suicide and self-harm rates in the whole population and among priority groups, including members of the Traveller community, people experiencing homelessness and LGBTQ+ people.

Under the strategy, the National Cross Sectoral Steering and Implementation Group coordinates government departments and agencies to maintain progress in implementation of the Strategy. In addition, the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) oversees and coordinates the completion of actions by individual organisations under the plan. The community and voluntary sector plays a vital role at local and national level in advancing suicide and self-harm prevention, prevention and mental health promotion efforts in Ireland through targeted approaches.

Following the publication of the findings of the 2019 independent Interim Strategy Review, and drawing on experience of implementation to date, as well as consultation with implementation partners, stakeholders and government departments, a series of implementation plans have been developed for the extended strategy. There have been three implementation plans since this review, which can be accessed at the following link: https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/4/mental-health-services/connecting-for-life/strategy-implementation/implementation/’

The development of the strategy has been a collaborative and inclusive process, based on contributions to public consultations, including by members of the public, people who have used our services and their families, professional bodies and community interests and organisations. Attracting, engaging and involving all of society in the implementation of the extended Connecting for Life remains crucial to its success.

‘Connecting for Life is now being evaluated, having concluded at the end of 2024. However the Cross-Sectoral Steering Group will continue to meet, in an administrative capacity, to maintain the work of suicide prevention in Ireland until a successor suicide reduction strategy is in place.’

The Cross-Sectoral Group is collectively responsible for driving and overseeing the long-term implementation of the national suicide reduction strategy Connecting for Life. The members Cross-Sectoral Group are high-level representatives from Government Departments, key State agencies, and NGOs. The Group facilitates clear communication across Government departments.

The Cross Sectoral Steering Group is chaired by Department of Health Assistant Secretary with responsibility for Social Care, Mental Health Drugs Policy and Unscheduled Care, Siobhán McArdle.

The Cross Sectoral Steering Group works with government, agency and NGO partners to evaluate performance, monitor progress, as well as gather information on examples of good practice as informed by national and international research.

• Siobhán McArdle (Chair) – Department of Health
• Siobhán Hargis – Department of Health
• Niamh Richardson – Department of Health
• Ian Smith - Dept of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport & Media
• Annette Doherty - Department of Rural and Community Development
• Des Connolly - Defence Forces
• Hugh O’Reilly – National Educational Psychology Service, Department of Education
• Sharon Eustace – Department of Education
• Christopher McCamley – Department of Social Protection
• Ellen Stewart – Department of Taoiseach
• Adam Gunning - Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
• Alice Wainwright – Department of Justice
• Enda Kelly – Irish Prison Service
• Emer Clarke – HSE Mental Health Operations
• Dr. Eamon Keenan - Clinical Director of the HSE South Western Area Addiction Service
• Aisling Sheehan - HSE Health and Wellbeing
• Aleisha Clarke – HSE Health and Wellbeing
• Ciaran Browne - HSE Acute Operations
• Krystian Fikert - MyMind.org (NGO rep)
• Nicola Byrne – Shine (NGO rep)
• Dr. Ella Arensman - National Suicide Research Foundation
• John Canny – Department of Agriculture
• Claire O’Kelly - Tusla
• Dr. Brian Osborne - Irish College of General Practitioners
• Marina Duffy - The Local Government Management Agency
• John Meehan – National Office for Suicide Prevention
• Sarah Woods – National Office for Suicide Prevention
• Ciaran Austin – National Office for Suicide Prevention
• Dr Philip Dodd – National Office for Suicide Prevention
• Dr Gemma Cox – National Office for Suicide Prevention
• Elaine Murphy– Health and Safety Authority
• Calum Fabb - Comisiún na Meán

The implementation of Connecting for Life takes place through the following key implementation structures:

• Cabinet Committee on Social Policy and Public Service Reform – Suicide prevention as a regular agenda item
• National Cross-Sectoral Steering and Implementation Group – with representation from the health sector, government departments, agencies and NGOs
• The National Office for Suicide Prevention (NOSP) will provide cross-sectoral support for implementation
• Local Cross-Sectoral Implementation Structures – to produce local area plans and community-level response reflecting national actions
• Individual Agency Implementation Systems – Including a co-ordinated HSE system.

The Cabinet Committee on Social Policy & Public Service Reform will monitor overall progress on implementation.

Implementation Status Reports can be found here.