Ireland has the fourth-highest rate of attempted suicides in Europe, new research has shown.
According to data from the World Health Organisation/EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour, up to 200 out of every 100,000 Irish people attempt suicide. Women account for just over 50 per cent of attempted suicides.
The data shows that France, Belgium and Finland have higher reported rates of attempted suicides than Ireland with 450, 360 and 220 attempted suicides per 100,000 respectively. The data only records suicide attempts in 15-year-olds and older.
Mr Paul Corcoran, deputy director of the National Suicide Research Foundation (NSRF), said the data available for Ireland was based on an extrapolation of data from two health board areas. He added the study was being extended to cover all health board areas.
The data suggests the national parasuicide rate is between 5,160 and 10,234 per annum, depending on results from large urban centres which has yet to be completed.
Initial research from the study will be sent to the Minister for Health Mr Martin. The Department of Health is funding the research scheme Parasuicide in the Republic of Ireland which was launched in January and will run to the end of the year.
The WHO/EURO figures are far from exact due to difficulties in collating data and the use of different base years for different countries. The figures do, however, give an indication of Ireland's experience relative to that of its neighbouring countries.
There were 413 reported suicides last year, down from a high of 504 in 1998. Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) show that suicide was the most common cause of death between 15-24 year olds.
The CSO data also shows that males accounted for 83 per cent of suicides last year.