A Moment of Reflection was held in Stormont to remember the 290 lives lost to suicide in 2024.
A major new cross-party Inquiry has been launched at Stormont today to examine how suicide prevention services are funded in Northern Ireland — and whether responsibility for saving lives is being placed too narrowly on the health system alone.
The Inquiry, launched by the All-Party Group (APG) on Suicide Prevention, which is supported by Samaritans as Secretariat, comes as new figures confirm that 290 deaths by suicide were registered in Northern Ireland in 2024.
The Inquiry will explore how investment in suicide prevention could be shared more effectively across government departments including Health, Communities, Justice, Education and the Economy — reflecting the reality that many of the pressures driving suicidal crisis originate far beyond clinical services.
“Every death by suicide is a devastating loss, and the fact that 290 people died in 2024 demands more than words — it demands action. That is why I am bringing forward proposals for cross-departmental suicide prevention training, so that public services across the system are better equipped to recognise risk and respond earlier,"
Launching the Inquiry, Orlaithi Flynn SF MLA, Chair of the APG on Suicide Prevention.
She said: “But training alone is not enough if the services people are referred into are unstable or under-funded. This Inquiry is about making sure our funding structures match the reality of how prevention works in communities, and that responsibility for protecting life is genuinely shared across government, not left to the Department for Health.”
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt MLA, who officially launched the Inquiry, said: “Suicide prevention cannot be delivered by one department alone. The factors that place people at risk span health, housing, education, justice, community safety and economic pressures.
“I welcome this Inquiry and the opportunity it creates to strengthen how government works together to support prevention, early intervention and community resilience. It is right that we continue to learn from frontline organisations as we shape future approaches.”
The Inquiry will gather written and oral evidence from charities, community organisations, academics, statutory partners and people working on the frontline. Organisations will also be invited to host site visits and evidence sessions so that MLAs can see prevention work directly in communities.
The work builds on growing evidence that suicide prevention must address wider social and economic pressures rather than relying solely on crisis intervention. Samaritans’ recent research report, Lost Futures: Poverty, Inequality and Suicidality in Northern Ireland, highlights how financial insecurity, inequality and limited opportunity deepen vulnerability and increase suicide risk, calling for sustained, coordinated action across government rather than short-term or siloed approaches.
Orlaithi Flynn SF MLA, Chair of the All-Party Group on Suicide Prevention, Claire Curran from Family Voices Forum and Survivors of Suicide, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt, and Sarah O'Toole, Executive Director, Samaritans Ireland, at the launch of a new inquiry by the APG on Suicide Prevention into how services are funded in Northern Ireland.
Sarah O’Toole, Executive Director of Samaritans Ireland, said: “Every death to suicide is one too many, and we must remember that behind every statistic is a person and a family and community grieving.
“Our Lost Futures research shows clearly that many of the pressures driving suicidal distress sit outside the health system — including poverty, insecure housing and financial strain.
“If we are serious about prevention, we must invest earlier and more consistently in the communities carrying the greatest burden. As Secretariat to the APG on Suicide Prevention, Samaritans is proud to support this Inquiry and ensure that evidence from frontline services helps shape practical, long-term solutions.”
Organisations are being invited to submit evidence through an online survey, which will remain open until Friday 27 February 2026. Respondents can also indicate whether they wish to provide oral evidence or host the All-Party Group for an evidence session.
Following the launch today, a Moment of Reflection was held to remember the 290 lives lost to suicide in 2024, with families and supporters also gathering in support of proposed legislation to strengthen cross-departmental suicide prevention training.
Organisations and individuals who wish to contribute to the Inquiry can complete the online evidence survey at https://s.surveyplanet.com/yogdrupj.