The Minister for Health James Reilly has said workers in the health service who are consistently sick will be brought in "one by one" for individual interviews with their managers.

It has emerged that 1-in-10 workers in some parts of the Health Service Executive are ringing in sick, despite efforts to clampdown on the costly practice.

A report in the Irish Independent today revealed that the ambulance service in the North-East is the worst hit area for absenteeism.

The rate there is 3-times higher than the HSE target of 3%.

Speaking at the launch of Lollipop Day in Dublin earlier, Minister Reilly said the absenteeism rate is high in some areas of the health service and "excellent" in others, but he acknowledged the situation is "untenable".

Minister Reilly said there would be more "uniformity" across the health sector, once the new hospital groups are announced in the coming weeks.