AN ORGANISATION set up two years ago in an attempt to bring down suicide rates yesterday officially opened its first outreach centre in a disadvantaged area of Dublin with high rates of suicide.
The Pieta House outreach service will provide counselling from a newly opened community healthy living centre in Neilstown, Clondalkin, two days a week.
The organisation, which is based in Lucan, has also just opened outreach centres in two other high-risk areas, namely Finglas and Tallaght, and these will be opened in coming months.
Joan Freeman, chief executive of Pieta House, said there had been a huge demand for the organisation's services. "Over 500 people die per year from suicide in Ireland. We have seen a huge demand for our services since we opened our doors in 2006, with people coming to us in crisis from all over the country," she said.
"The Pieta House outreach service in Neilstown intends to tackle the high level of suicides in the Clondalkin area head-on by providing a service within the community for the community."
Pieta House, funding for which almost entirely comes from donations, is said to be the only organisation in the State providing a free therapeutic self-harm and suicide prevention service.
Ms Freeman said Pieta House had seen more than 1,400 people who were suicidal since it was set up. She said the highest number of referrals it had received to date in Dublin came from the Clondalkin area, which was why its first outreach centre was being launched there. She said people had even been calling from abroad about the service, which she hopes will be expanded to Cork and Mayo next year.
Meanwhile, the healthy living centre from which Pieta House will provide its outreach service in Clondalkin was also officially opened yesterday by Minister for Health Mary Harney. The centre will provide stress therapy, advice on healthy eating and cooking, first aid and other courses.