TDs hope for a Christmas number one

THE POLITICIAN who initiated a charity single sung by
a group of Oireachtas members in a bid to raise money for a suicide
intervention centre on the Southside has urged the public to make it a
Christmas number one.

TDs and senators from all political parties came
together on The Late Late Show on Friday, November 25 to launch their bid for a
Christmas number one in aid of the Lucan based suicide crisis centre, Pieta
House.

Oireachtas members, including Fine Gael TD, Derek
Keating and his party colleague, Peter Mathews, made their musical debut on the
show with their version of

‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’.

Backing vocals were provided by the Dublin Gospel
Choir and the Lucan Gospel Choir.

Management at Pieta House said recently that the
centre has dealt with about half the number of clients this year that it
treated in the previous five years combined.

Since 2006, apart from the main centre in Lucan, the
charity has opened four other centres including one in Finglas and Tallaght,
another dedicated centre in Ballyfermot, as well as a second national centre in
Limerick.

The 17 TDs and senators involved in the charity single
have recorded and released their own version of the classic Simon &
Garfunkel hit. The single is now available to download on iTunes for

?¬1.29 and
all proceeds will go to the suicide intervention charity.

Deputy Keating, who is a director on the board of
management at Pieta House and was responsible for initiating the charity
single, said the response to the song has been overwhelming.

“I can say to you quite honestly I was quite surprised
at the level of reaction right across the country particularly on the day
following the Late Late Show,

? he revealed.

“I received phone calls from all
corners of Ireland and from people from all walks of life who had been touched
by suicide or self harm during their own lives.

?

He said that if people purchased the single it would
empower them to make a difference to the lives of those who had been affected
by suicide and self-harm.

“Christmas time is a difficult time for an increasing
number of families,

? he added.

“There are now many thousands of families who
will go through a very difficult time because they are missing a loved one
forever.

?

The director and founder of Pieta House, Joan Freeman,
said the charity single has been very positive in terms of raising awareness of
the services that they provide.

“Our vision is that nobody in Ireland should be more
than 100kilometres from a Pieta House centre where they can avail of the
services that we provide,

? she said.

“The proceeds we receive from the single
will go towards opening new centres.

?

Those who want to find out more information about
Pieta House can log on to www.pieta.ie. A video clip of a recent recording of
the Pieta House charity single

‘A Bridge Over Troubled Water’ can be viewed on
Youtube.