A suicide prevention charity is calling for Stormont to fully fund NI’s Mental Health Strategy after budget cuts
A suicide prevention charity is calling for Stormont to fully fund Northern Ireland’s Mental Health Strategy after new figures show suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50.
The latest figures released by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) showed there were 290 suicide deaths registered in Northern Ireland in 2024.
Of all male deaths registered in 2024 where the deceased was aged under 50 (690), 151 were to suicide (21.9%), with men accounting for 230 (79.3%) of 290 suicide deaths, and women accounting for 60 (20.7%). In response to these figures, PIPS Suicide Prevention Charity has launched a powerful new campaign, “Too Many Lives Lost to Suicide. Stand with PIPS Charity. Demand Change.”
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The campaign comes as the delivery of Northern Ireland’s Mental Health Strategy is being impacted by budget cuts. PIPS is calling on political leaders and decision-makers to prioritise mental health and fully fund the strategy without delay.
Renée Quinn, CEO of PIPS Charity, said: “We’re not talking about statistics, we’re talking about people: 290 sons, daughters, parents, friends, and neighbours. Each one of those lives mattered. Each one leaves behind a circle of heartbreak that will ripple for years to come.
“Every single one of those 290 lives mattered. These deaths are preventable, but without proper funding, our services are being stretched beyond breaking point. Our community deserves better, it deserves action, we must act now so future generations never ask if we did enough.”
PIPS Charity currently does not receive government funding for their core services or direct support through the Mental Health Strategy, instead relying on public and corporate donations. However, the charity said the strategy works “as a roadmap for strengthening mental health support across Northern Ireland.”
Their team and resources are also increasingly impacted by overspill from long waiting lists from NHS overstretched services. They are calling on the Executive to fully restore the Mental Health Strategy to combat rising suicide rates and provide a lifeline.
Renée added: “This is not just a policy change, it’s a breaking of promise to the people of Northern Ireland.
“When our communities are crying out for help, when families are grieving, and when frontline services are hanging by a thread, how can we justify this hugely retrograde step? How can we face those who come after us and admit this was enough?
“We urge the government to restore full commitment to the Mental Health Strategy, not as a line in a budget, but as a lifeline for our people.
“Our community deserves better. We owe it to every life lost, and every life still fighting, to get this right. Hope cannot be scaled back.”
You can view PIPS Charity’s campaign page and sign their petition against Mental Health Strategy cuts by clicking here.
Anyone who needs to talk to someone about mental health issues can call the Samaritans on 116123 or Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.
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