Not so smug now eh?

Just a quick follow up to a previous post on how Ireland is, according to a Dutch sociologist, the second happiest place on the planet to live.

This year in the second happiest place to live in the world, the suicide rate in Clare, one of the happiest counties rose by fifty three percent*.

Fine Gael TD Dan Neville said yesterday: "I would be seriously concerned at the figures and would be disappointed if they reflect a national trend."

So lets all buck up and try not to disappoint Dan eh?

Dan also happens to believe that if these figures represent a national trend, one that might perhaps start to sully our rep as one of the happiest places on earth, it would be the governments fault for not implementing suicide prevention programmes.

A government suicide prevention program would of course convince me not to take my life in any situation, from terminal illness, to debt, to the myriad of personal problems that can be unresolvable.

Remember all you need is a government program to tell you its all going to be all right, and that "God" does not want you to take your own life, and hey presto! the dark clouds will part.

Groups such as the Samaritans know, that there is little one can do to persuade an individual to stay alive, when they have made the decision, unfortunate but true.

If Dan thinks all it takes not to commit suicide is a goverment "suicide prevention program" I dearly hope he never encounters any serious problems of his own.

Peace and Hope.

FatherCrow.

* figures on suidice rates in Clare taken from the Irish Independent.