Ahern makes case for e-voting
Ireland will become the laughing stock of Europe if it doesn’t introduce e-voting soon, the Taoiseach said tonight.
Bertie Ahern told Opposition TDs in the Dail that a recent report on electronic voting found that it would only cost €500,000 to upgrade its software.
He rejected criticism over the troubled €52m e-voting system which still incurs annual €700,000 costs to store 7,000 machines around the country.
“Our silly old system is outdated,” Mr Ahern said.
“We have to correct the software which will cost €500,000 and then try to move forward. Otherwise we will go into the 21st Century being the laughing stock with our stupid ol’ pencils.”
Labour leader Pat Rabittee referred to weekend comments by Environment Minister Dick Roche that he intended to store the machines in centralised Defence Forces facilities and that he expected to use the technology in elections after 2007
Mr Roche said on TV3 on Sunday that the machines will be used in elections and referenda after 2007.
He added: “I’m not going to scrap them, we’ve actually paid good Irish taxpayers’ money for them and I don’t think there’s any point of throwing them on the scrap heap when you can store them and correct them.”
Mr Roche also said that 60% of the machines will be stored centrally in warehouses provided by the Defence Forces.
Mr Rabbitte added: “I would have thought that there would be no difficulty at all in guarding them because they’re absolutely useless but that seems to be the use Mr Roche has in mind for the Army.
Mr Ahern said the second report by the Commission on Electronic Voting found that the system can potentially deliver real efficiency in the administration of elections.
A Cabinet sub-committee, chaired by Mr Roche will consider the report’s recommendations while a peer review group drawn from international electoral reform bodies and the IT industry will be tasked to supervise any software redesign work.
The Government announced the introduction of e-voting in February 2000 and up to 7,000 machines were purchased for use in the European and local elections in June 2004.
However an interim report by the Commission on Electronic Voting in March 2004 cast serious doubt on the reliability and security of the system’s software and the Government suspended the project pending further tests.
The Government had estimated that electronic voting and counting would make nationwide staff reductions of 1,200.
Last April, the Public Accounts Committee found wide variations in the cost of storing the machines around the country. The storage bill for Carlow-Kilkenny was €28,000 while it was only €298 in Co Louth.
Insurance cost €8,500 in Tipperary North/South and only €1,061 in Waterford.
