Minister Butler Publishes Findings of Public Consultation on Ireland’s New Suicide Reduction Plan
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.