The number of suicides in Ireland dropped last year to 507, from 525 in 2011, according to latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The CSO says figures for 2012 shows a decrease (6%) in male suicides from 2011. Males accounted for 81% of all suicide deaths in 2012.

However, the figures do not give the full picture of the extent of suicide in Ireland, the national suicide prevention and bereavement charity Console claimed.

The charity is calling for a review of the procedures for collecting data on suicide so that agencies can identify problems and respond more quickly.

"The CSO’s provisional figures show 507 people died by suicide last year, a 3.5% drop on the numbers in 2011, but that includes a dramatic 46% increase in the number of older people over 55 taking their own lives," said Console's Director of Services Ciaran Austin.

He said the regional data was also alarming, with several counties recording rates of suicide well above the national average of 11.1 per 100,000 population. These include Limerick with 26.6 deaths by suicide per 100,000, Cork City (25.6%), Wexford (21.2% ) and Mayo (19.9%).”

"We need to find out why these trends are happening but the figures we have are provisional when what we need is accurate and timely data," Ciaran Austin said.

Meanwhile, the HSE Crisis Pregnancy Programme welcomed the CSO statitiscs which showed a further decline in the number of births to teenagers, from 1,720 in 2011 to 1,639 in 2012.
 
Dr. Kevin Kelleher, Head of Health Protection with the HSE, said the number of teenage births had substantially declined since 2001, and recent survey results show that the number of young people saying that they are getting good quality Relationship and Sexuality Education (RSE) has increased. 

"It is also showing that the age of first sexual intercourse is stable, at 17 years of age and there are very high rates of contraceptive use reported among young people who are sexually active."

The CSO figures also showed there were 72,225 births registered in 2012 with 37,210 males and 35,015 females, a decrease of 2,425 births on 2011. The 2012 total was 19.3 % higher than in 2002, when 60,521 births were registered.