Green Party Deputy leader Mary White TD has welcomed the announcement that there is to be an investigation into the cost of storing e-voting machines.
She said that she received a letter from Minister John Gormley in regard to e-voting which outlined plans for an investigation into the costs currently being incurred to store the equipment.
Speaking today the Carlow/Kilkenny TD said, “I warmly welcome the minister's initiative to commission a detailed report which outlines the cost of storage to date, the issue of disposal, the breaking of long leases and fundamentally the concerns regarding these machines due to a lack of a Voter Verifiable Audit Trail.
“This has been a legacy issue for the Green Party and it is my understanding that if the machines were to be retrofitted to implement the recommendations on electronic voting, these costs could rise to a further €28 million. I believe that in the extremely challenging financial climate that we are in, this would be unrealistic."
Deputy White continued, "a further international perspective on this issue was brought to light this month when Germany decided ( in court ) that the law enabling electronic voting was unconstitutional.
“Machines like those used in Ireland should now be scrapped. I believe the Minister took the prudent course of getting expert advice and I believe that this advice, now to hand, cannot hold us back from making the right decision on the future of these machines. Personally and from my meetings with constituents there is a strong desire to see the pencil and the tally men and women remain at the heart of our voting system. It is my understanding that the minister will bring his very detailed report to Government to be considered by Cabinet in due course."
