The development of specialist nursing teams in hospital emergency departments can help reduce Ireland’s suicide rate over the coming decade, according to a new Government strategy. The suicide rate has fallen by a third over the last two decades, from 12.9 per 100,000 people to 8.8. A 10-year strategy, published on Wednesday, aims to reduce the rate to seven per 100,000 or below by 2035, by developing specialist nursing teams in emergency departments and communities. About 1,900 members of the public contributed to the consultation process on the strategy with submissions on “lived experience”.People shared stories of presenting to emergency departments in suicidal distress. Speaking at the launch of the strategy, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she would “continue to invest in staffing and infrastructure” and in “alternatives within our communities” so patients could receive the best quality care.In Ireland and internationally, men are significantly more likely to die by suicide than women. However, women have consistently higher rates of self-harm and non-fatal suicide attempts. Minister for Mental Health Mary Butler said she was “also deeply committed to supporting the most vulnerable groups in our society” and said there would be targeted interventions to address the unique needs of communities at increased risk of suicide, such as the Traveller community. “The loss of a life to suicide is a tragedy that has impacted too many families, friends and communities across Ireland,” Taoiseach Micheál Martin said. Each event is “devastating” and a “stark reminder of the importance of prioritising mental health and wellbeing”. At the launch Minister of State Kevin “Boxer” Moran spoke about his suicide attempt, which he first talked about in 2017. “I went through an awful lot of difficulty in my life where a number of things caught up with me,” he said.The phrase “mental health” has a stigma attached to it, he said, but it “affects people like me, it affects hundreds of people up and down the country.” Moran urged others to talk if they are dealing with mental health difficulties.“I always say there’s always help and there’s always a solution. It’s not always easy, but you have to talk first,” he said.