Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

Having changed his position half a dozen times on whether the introduction of electronic voting in the forthcoming elections could or could not be done by order, has the Taoiseach's Government discovered, at the 12th hour, that it requires primary legislation? When will such legislation be introduced? Will he assure the House that it will not be introduced before electronic voting in the European and local elections, having regard to the shambles and bungling of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, in handling the matter? Regarding the Tánaiste's concerns about there being no verifiable voter audit trail, does the Taoiseach consider that the amendment tabled to the motion tonight in the names of the Fine Gael leader, Deputy Sargent and me meets the crisis that has been unnecessarily provoked by the incompetence of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government?

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