Minister for Mental Health welcomes the publication of the Mental Health Commission’s report on the declining use of restrictive practices in approved centres
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From: Department of Health
- Published on: 12 December 2025
- Last updated on: 12 December 2025
Minister for Mental Health and Government Chief Whip, Mary Butler TD, today welcomed the Mental Health Commission’s report on the use of restrictive practices in approved centres in Ireland in 2024.
This report notes the significant downward trend in restrictive practices in recent years following the implementation of revised, human rights-based rules governing the use of seclusion and mechanical restraint, and a Code of Practice on the use of physical restraint.
Minister Butler said:
"I welcome this report from the Mental Health Commission which confirms the combined use of restrictive practices in Irish mental health centres has fallen to its lowest level since national reporting began in 2008.
"This progress reflects the ongoing commitment of services to upholding the rights and dignity of every person receiving care, and to embed a person-centred, and recovery-oriented approach.
"This report is not just a record of progress, but a call to continue our efforts. While we celebrate these achievements, we must remain vigilant and ensure that restrictive practices are only ever used as a last resort".
“I would like to commend the Mental Health Commission for their leadership and dedication in driving the reduction of restrictive practices across our mental health services.”
The 2024 report reflects the Health Service Executive’s (HSE’s) transition to six new Health Regions, providing clearer regional insights and enabling targeted strategies to reduce restrictive practices across Ireland.
Minister Butler added:
"The new Mental Health Bill I am progressing through the Seanad includes a range of safeguards for situations where restrictive practices may still be necessary. It also includes new sections to regulate and monitor the use of pharmacological restraint”.
"I want to acknowledge the hard work and dedication of all staff across the mental health sector who are striving to reduce and ultimately eliminate the use of restrictive practices in our services."
Minister Butler and the Department of Health will continue to work closely with both the Mental Health Commission and the HSE to embed a culture of person-centred, human rights, and recovery-oriented approaches in our mental health services.
Notes
The introduction of the revised Rules and Code - which came into effect on 1 January 2023 - occurred because of international developments around human rights, the advancement of person-centred care, and evidence demonstrating that restrictive practices can have harmful physical and psychological consequences.
Key statistics from the report:
- In 2024, there were 2,836 total episodes of restrictive practices (seclusion and physical restraint), a decrease of 18% from 3,467 episodes in 2023.
- Total restrictive practices have decreased by 48.64% over five years, from 5,830 episodes in 2020 to 2,836 in 2024 – the lowest annual total since reporting began in 2008.
- There were 2,092 episodes of physical restraint in 2024 involving 844 people, down from 2,572 episodes involving 879 people in 2023.
- Episodes of seclusion decreased from 895 in 2023 to 744 in 2024 (a 17% reduction), while the number of people secluded fell from 473 to 434 (an 8.2% reduction).
- Mechanical restraint (Part 3) remains rare, with 10 reported incidents in 2024, a slight increase on 2023, but still representing very low usage nationwide.
- Physical restraint accounted for 73.8% of all reported restrictive practices in 2024, similar to 2023, with seclusion representing 26.2%.