Colm Burke (Fine Gael)

We need to examine this issue and it will be one of the issues on the agenda when the Minister comes to this Chamber on 27 October. An absenteeism rate of 1% in the health service costs €50 million per year. The average for 2010 was over 5%, so it cost over €250 million. The issue must be carefully watched and we must see how we can put in place better structures to deal with it.