PIETA HOUSE, which claims to be the Republic’s only centre providing a therapeutic service for the prevention of suicide and self-harm, has announced the extension of its opening hours to cope with demand for its services.
It says suicide rates have increased by 42 per cent this year, according to the Central Statistics Office. Similarly, it says, demand for Pieta House’s service is up by 120 per cent on this time last year.
Pieta will now open four nights a week and on Saturdays to meet this demand.
Pieta chief executive Joan Freeman said the rise in demand for its service was due to “socio-economic factors”.
“We are inundated with new assessments at the moment and we definitely attribute this to the financial situation many people now find themselves in,” she said in a statement.
“We expect this to increase further in the new year as financial difficulties deepen after Christmas. However, Pieta House, like all charities, is also struggling financially.”
Ms Freeman said demand was outstripping supply and “we urgently need help to continue our work in 2010”.
The company yesterday launched a fundraising campaign by asking people to text “buddy” to 57000 and €1 per text will be donated to Pieta House.