Independent MEP Marian Harkin today (7 March) called on the Irish government to "take heed of compelling European statistics and provide means to prevent, screen and diagnose depression in the workplace".

Harkin, a Co-Chair of the European Parliament's Mental Health Interest Group, made the remarks following a Brussels conference addressing work absenteeism and presenteeism due to depression.

The North & West MEP noted that "while we are all touched by friends or family members who suffer from this difficult condition both inside and outside the workplace, policymakers cannot ignore the significant socio-economic impact of depression, which was estimated as costing EU countries € 113.4 million in 2011, affecting more than 33 million EU citizens".

In particular, Harkin made reference to the lesser known problem of presenteeism - people who are present in their workplace but suffer from illness, either physical or mental, rendering them incapable of fully functioning in their professional capacity.

"Statistics indicate that presenteeism from mental ill health alone costs the UK economy 15 Billion euro each year, and while to my knowledge we lack comparable data in Ireland, my years of involvement around mental health strategies in Ireland lead me to believe that we have similar issues here".

"National legislations should provide for prevention, screening and diagnosis of depression in the workplace so that days will not be lost due to absenteeism or to presenteeism," Harkin concluded.