Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny tonight described Ireland's youth suicide rate as an "epidemic".
Enda Kenny
Ireland has the fifth highest suicide rate among 14 to 24-year-old in the European Union. Some 90 per cent of these are linked to mental health problems. More young Irish people now die from suicide than car crashes each year.
An estimated one in four people suffer from some form of mental illness at some stage in their lives.
Speaking at the Psychiatric Nurses' Association annual conference in Cavan, Mr Kenny claimed Government "neglect" of mental health services was contributing to the growing death toll.
Earlier this week, the National Youth Council of Ireland accused the Government of failing young people with mental illnesses by not acting to cut waiting lists for those seeking psychiatric assessments.
The council said the latest figures from the Health Service Executive show that 3,133 children are waiting for psychiatric assessments. It added that funding allocated to mental health by the Government has declined from 13.5 per cent to 6.7 per cent in the last 15 years.
"In Ireland 2006, suicide and self-harm are taking lives, ruining families, yet thanks to this Government's neglect, these people have nowhere to turn to, nowhere to go," Mr Kenny said.
The Mayo TD said his party would prioritise mental health if elected to Government. "There are serious economic implications here," he said. "Ireland needs to wake up to that fact that our emotional health is every bit as crucial as our physical health."