MINISTER FOR Health Mary Harney has spoken of her shock and devastation at the loss of a friend to suicide when she was a university student.
Ms Harney was at the opening yesterday of a conference at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham in Dublin to mark World Suicide Prevention Day.
The conference was organised by suicide prevention and bereavement support group Console.
She told the conference that she had first encountered suicide when she was studying in Trinity College Dublin.
A young friend who “seemed to have everything going for her” took her life.
“We were absolutely stunned. I remember being bewildered and devastated at the time,” the Minister said.
Ms Harney told delegates that it was her priority as Minister to ensure that suicide prevention services were accessible to all.
She said that it was essential to remove the stigma around mental illness, which might prevent some people in crisis from seeking help.
