Member's statement: World Suicide Prevention Day
Member's statement by Mr Mark Durkan on .
- MLA
- Mr Mark Durkan
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 9 September 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- World Suicide Prevention Day
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5085709
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Tomorrow is World Suicide Prevention Day. It is a day when we reflect and remember the people whose lives were cut short by suicide. Those people are not just statistics; they are sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, friends and neighbours. However, the Executive seem to have become desensitised to that fact. In 2023, 221 people died by suicide, which is an 8% increase on the previous year. That is 221 more empty seats at dinner tables and 221 more families who have been shattered forever. Yet, that devastating loss barely registers in the Chamber, let alone sparks the action that it requires from the Executive. We live in a time when the loss of the art of human connection is more evident than ever. I worry deeply for our young people who are drawn into phones and algorithms that do not just entertain but exploit their insecurities and vulnerabilities. The algorithms feed them content that is designed to make them feel smaller, more self-conscious and more alone. Research shows us that heavy social media use is linked to higher rates of anxiety, depression and poor self-esteem among young people. We must work with other legislatures to regulate the platforms and safeguard the vulnerable. Technology is a relatively new factor in this multifaceted issue, but we must also face the shameful reality of political neglect.
Suicide prevention is shamefully absent from the Programme for Government. Protect Life 2 and the mental health strategy were launched with great promise yet remain chronically underfunded, under-scrutinised and under-delivered.
While we delay, the crisis deepens. Suicide rates are three times higher in our most deprived communities. In places such as Derry and Strabane, where poverty, housing collapse and lack of opportunity weigh heavily, mental health and addiction services are either buckling or disappearing altogether. It is 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. Bombs and bullets no longer do the most damage here in Northern Ireland: mental illness, substance misuse and suicide do. These are preventable deaths, but tackling them requires urgency. It requires us to look beyond sticking plasters and commit to early intervention, sustained funding and urgent cross-departmental action.
376 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.04 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.92).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.03 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.03 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.92 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.04 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.66 |
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.14 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.13 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.04 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.02 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 12:56 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.