Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler T.D. has published the findings of a public consultation to inform Ireland’s next suicide reduction strategy, on World Suicide Prevention Day 2025. This year’s theme calls on people, communities, organisations and government to foster open, honest conversations about suicide. The public consultation, which ran from March to April 2025, received 1,895 responses from individuals and organisations across all 26 counties of Ireland.

Welcoming the findings of the consultation, Minister Butler, said: "The significant response by the public to this consultation demonstrates the strength of feeling to reducing lives lost to suicide in our country. On this World Suicide Prevention Day, I would like to thank each and every one of the 1,895 people who took the time to respond to our online survey and the 200 people who attended the in-person events. The voices of those with lived experience will be central to shaping our next national strategy. "I have established an Expert Advisory Group and a Lived Experience Reference Group to guide the development of Ireland’s next national suicide reduction strategy. The recommendations from the groups will draw heavily on the findings of the public consultation."

Key themes from the public consultation, included:

• 85% of respondents believing suicide reduction should be prioritised by Government
• ensuring accessible and high-quality services
• enhancing care systems
• targeted interventions and support
• education and stigma reduction
• addressing the social determinants in suicide prevention

82% of people who responded to the online survey reported lived experience of suicide. Lived experience was defined in line with the International Association for Suicide Prevention as including suicidal thoughts, suicide attempts, caring for someone in crisis, or being bereaved by suicide. 17% of responses came from individuals representing organisations, primarily from the community, voluntary, and advocacy sectors. The public consultation process was supported by the National Suicide Research Foundation, who analysed the results from the online survey, and Crowe Consulting, who facilitated the in-person consultation.

Notes to editor: 
Overview of consultation reports:
Three reports will be published based on the public consultation process. These are:

• Findings from the Public Consultation Survey to Inform Ireland’s New Suicide Reduction Strategy
• Synthesis of Public Consultation Submissions to Inform Ireland’s New Suicide Reduction Strategy
• Findings from Public Consultation Events to Inform Ireland’s New Suicide Reduction Strategy

Findings from the Public Consultation Survey to Inform Ireland’s New Suicide Reduction Strategy
Developed by the National Suicide Research Foundation, this report presents the findings of the public consultation survey which was open for six weeks from 5 March 2025. In total, 1,895 individuals responded to the online survey. The majority of those that responded to the survey reported lived experience of suicide. Respondents represented all 26 counties in the Republic of Ireland. Individuals responding on behalf of an organisation represented 17% of responses, with the majority representing community, voluntary and advocacy sectors.

Synthesis of Public Consultation Submissions to Inform Ireland’s New Suicide Reduction Strategy
Additional standalone submissions (n=25) to complement the public consultation survey were received from individuals and organisations who wished to provide further information on the public consultation. These were also analysed by the National Suicide Research Foundation. The majority of these additional submissions were provided by organisations (80%, n=20). The remaining 20% (n=5) were from individuals contributing based on their lived experience of suicide. In addition to the five themes presented in the survey report, analysis of these 25 additional submissions resulted in the generation of two additional themes. This report presents these additional themes: monitoring and research and learning from Connecting for Life.

Findings from Public Consultation Events to Inform Ireland’s New Suicide Reduction Strategy
This report presents findings from the in-person consultation. This was commissioned by the Department of Health and facilitated by Crowe. The process aimed to gather practical insights from key groups directly involved in or affected by suicide prevention efforts. Between March 2025 and May 2025, seven workshops were held with four stakeholder groups: Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs); People with Lived Experience (including individuals with personal experience of suicidality, those bereaved by suicide, and those who supported others in crisis); Health Service Executive (HSE) participants; and Key Professional Stakeholders.
Insights were organised around five policy domains:

• Future Priorities: Strong support for upstream, community-based, and youth focused interventions.
• Gaps and Lessons: Emergency Departments (EDs) seen as unfit for crisis care; follow-up and referral pathways inconsistent.
• Policy Performance: Connecting for Life (CfL) valued but seen as disconnected from local delivery.
• Systemic Barriers: Fragmented services, inequity, and poor coordination were recurring concerns.
• Retention and Expansion: Desire to retain CfL’s intent but streamline actions and strengthen implementation.

Connecting for Life - The new strategy will build on the foundation laid by Connecting for Life, Ireland’s national strategy to reduce suicide, which ran from 2015 to 2024. Grounded in international best practice, Connecting for Life provided a comprehensive framework for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention across the country. It prioritised a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach, and its impact is currently being evaluated to inform the next phase of strategy development.

Support is always available - If you, or someone you know needs support, visit www.yourmentalhealth.ie – for information on how to mind your mental health, support others, or to find a support service in your area.

You can get help through: 

• text HELLO to 50808 anytime day or night (24/7) to text with a trained listening volunteer
• your GP
• Emergency Department
• HSE Mental Health Services
• yourmentalhealth.ie or telephone information line 1800 111 888 - anytime day or night, for information on mental health services in your area. Mental health supports and services - HSE.ie
• Samaritans on 116 123
• Pieta House on 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444

Media reporting - When covering the topic of suicide, the HSE recommends that media adhere to Samaritans Ireland Media Guidelines for Reporting Suicide - research evidence shows that certain types of media depictions, such as explicitly describing a method, sensational and excessive reporting, can lead to imitational suicidal behaviour among vulnerable people.

The topic of suicide should always be approached with care and compassion. It is important to use sensitive and non-stigmatising language when engaging in a conversation, talking or writing about suicide. Read more from the HSE National Office for Suicide Prevention.
Free suicide prevention training from the HSE
For more information on suicide prevention training programmes available from the HSE, visit www.nosp.ie/training.

Access ‘Let’s Talk About Suicide’ – a free online suicide prevention training programme from the HSE NOSP.