The HSE says absenteeism in the health service is at its lowest rate ever.
New government figures show that sick leave in the public sector cost the State around 430 million euro in 2012.
Absenteeism was almost double that of the private sector.
Sick leave rates were highest in the Gardai and the health services.
Barry O'Brien, the HSE's national director of human resources says great strides in reducing the numbers of workers off sick have been made in recent months:
