Mr. Robbie Sinnott:

With regard to voting, we are slowly getting there. It is very slow but sure. On a good day things work for some people. Ultimately, what it comes down to is the system. In New South Wales in Australia, there is a system of online voting for visually impaired people. Estonia also has online voting. This is not to be confused with e-voting and the terrible debacle with old technology from 20 years ago. This is online voting. In Estonia, it applies in all elections. People have two weeks to vote and they can change their minds within that time. They do not have to vote online and they can vote in person at the polling station if they wish. Ultimately this is what it comes down to. It would mean people in rural Ireland would not have to depend on somebody to bring them to the polling station, perhaps putting pressure on them as to how they vote. There is no verifiability. I have seen this go on in rural Ireland with people with disabilities. I thank Senator Seery Kearney for the question. Ultimately, online voting should be investigated but there are no moves on it and the Department is not looking at it in the short term or the long term.