Responding to firearms assisted suicide in Ireland: A review of core concerns and lessons from abroad

Abstract

Between 1980 and 2004,725 firearms assisted suicides (FAS) were registered in Ireland. This paper provides the first review of legislative, policing, and clinical issues surrounding the ownership of firearms by those at risk of self-harming behaviour and suicide. Consideration is given to the firearms climate in Ireland over the past 30 years, including legislative developments since the shooting of John Carthy in Abbeylara in 2000. Efforts to curb firearms suicides abroad are discussed, and this forms the backdrop for the consideration of similar measures here.