THE Samaritans, the voluntary organisation which counsels the suicidal and despairing, has appealed for more volunteers for its 24 hour service.
"At a time when the suicide rate in this country is increasing at an alarming rate, the need for volunteers who are well trained and supported is more essential than ever," according to Mr Ciaran Lynch, regional representative for Ireland. "The Samaritans who are all volunteers would cost half a million pounds if paid at even half the average national wage," he added.
Mr Lynch was speaking before the organisation's annual regional conference which was held in Athlone on Saturday. Attended by some 300 volunteers, the conference was opened by the deputy leader of Fianna Fail and local TD, Ms Mary O'Rourke. The conference was part of ongoing training for volunteers.
A regional spokeswoman for the organisation, Mary, said the Samaritans provided 350,000 hours of listening a year. "This is something we want to keep up," she said. "One of our aims is to highlight awareness of suicide and the extent of the problem in Ireland."
What of the qualities they seek in volunteers? "We are looking for ordinary qualities - people who can spend time listening to those who are seeking our help." Some 34 per cent of Samaritans volunteers are men, which the group says is high for a voluntary organisation.
The organisation, which has 2,500 volunteers working at 20 centres throughout Ireland, is funded by voluntary contributions and each branch raises its own funds. The annual cost for each of the 20 branches is about £15,000.