00:00Tomorrow is World Suicide Prevention Day, a day when we reflect and remember the lives cut short by suicide.
00:08These aren't just statistics, but sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends and neighbours.
00:18But this executive seems to have become desensitised to that fact.
00:22In 2023, 221 people died by suicide. That's an 8% increase on the previous year.
00:32That's 221 more empty seats at dinner tables.
00:37221 more families shattered forever.
00:41And yet this devastating loss barely registers in this chamber, let alone sparks the action that it requires from the executive.
00:52We live in a time when the lost art of human connection is more evident than ever.
00:57And I worry deeply for our young people who are drawn into phones and algorithms that don't just entertain, but exploit their insecurities and vulnerabilities.
01:09Algorithms that feed them content designed to make them feel smaller, more self-conscious, more alone.
01:16Research shows us that heavy social media use is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression and poor self-esteem in young people.
01:27And we must work with other legislators to regulate these platforms and safeguard the vulnerable.
01:35So technology is a relatively new factor in this multifaceted issue.
01:40But we must also face the shameful reality of political neglect.
01:45Suicide prevention is shamefully absent from the programme for government.
01:50Strategies like Protect Life 2 and the Mental Health Strategy were launched with great promise, yet remain chronically underfunded, underscrutinised and underdelivered.
02:04And while we delay, the crisis deepens.
02:07Suicide rates are three times higher in our most deprived communities.
02:11In places like Derry and Strauban, where poverty, housing collapse and lack of opportunity weigh heavily, mental health and addiction services are either buckling or disappearing altogether.
02:26It's a shameful and oft-quoted fact that the number of lives lost to suicide since the Good Friday Agreement has now surpassed those lost during the Troubles.
02:38Bombs and bullets no longer do the most damage here in Northern Ireland.
02:43Mental illness, substance misuse and suicide do.
02:47These are preventable deaths, but tackling them requires urgency.
02:52It requires us to look beyond sticking plasters and commit to early intervention, sustained funding and urgent cross-departmental action.
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