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Amid growing concern at the number of men taking their own lives in rural areas, a three-year study into rural suicides is to be funded by Teagasc's Rural Economy Research Centre in Galway.

Áine Macken Walsh, a sociologist at the RERC, said the research will also seek to determine the exact numbers involved."We know the national suicide rate, but we have no breakdown between rural and other areas. We want to find out exactly what this is and the reasons for it," she said. Ms Macken Walsh added that while the EU incidence of suicide was falling, the Irish rate was increasing and there appears to be a very high level in rural areas, not just of young men but middle-aged men also. Rural female suicide was not being studied as the rate was lower.