Charlie McCreevy (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)

I wish to deal specifically with the two issues raised by some opponents of the system. The first issue is that of adding on a voter verifiable paper audit trail, or VVPAT. I have observed an increasing chorus for what has become a media catchword but I wonder do its proponents understand the system we are using or are they just accepting, uncritically, the information made available by some individuals? The proponents of a VVPAT come mostly from the US and their concerns arise in the context of the voting machines used in that country. However, it is important to understand that there are many different types of voting machines in use in the US, some good, some not so good. The Nedap machine is not of the same type as those in the US. We need to be realistic and compare like with like. People should not accept everything that is put before them on this issue without regard to the facts.

See this speech in context