Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)

While I join other Deputies in thanking the commission for its report, unfortunately I do not share their optimism in believing we can stand back because the Government intends to give people space and re-examine the issue. What occurred during the Order of Business only reinforces my suspicion that the Government intends or wants to proceed, irrespective of the views of the Opposition.

The Taoiseach stated during Leaders' Questions that it was only in mid-January, when a row started about electronic voting in America, that people in this country began to question our electronic voting system. I had no opportunity to advise the Taoiseach at the time but I advise him now to consult the minutes of the Joint Committee on the Environment and Local Government of 18 December, in which he will note the serious concerns outlined and ignored by the Minister on that occasion. On 18 February, on the all-party motion on electronic voting, I alluded to the fact that it is the people who will thwart the attempts to introduce electronic voting because the essence of power rests with them. As a result of that Dáil debate, the Government, in the absence of the Minister who was abroad at the time, conceded to the establishment of the commission that has now made its report. It is a pity the Minister was not abroad on more occasions because we might have made more progress on this matter. That was the only progress made since the committee debate in December. On 18 February, reluctantly and at the eleventh hour, the Government conceded the establishment of a commission. It was, possibly, rumblings in the minor Government party which led to that concession. Either way, we were lucky to get it.

The Fine Gael Party has consistently advised the Minister to ensure everything is in order before introducing electronic voting. We said at the committee meetings that we would like to emerge fully supportive of the Minister in its introduction. However, there was too much bulldozing, too many unanswered questions and too many disparaging remarks about the case we made. I will not quote some of the remarks made by the Minister during Dáil debates about the Opposition and, particularly, the attitude of Fine Gael. Some very disparaging remarks were made for which he should have the grace to apologise. What we were saying has now beem included in the commission's report.

The conclusion of the commission's report states:

On the basis of its review of expert reports, submissions received and other relevant information to date, the Commission finds that it is not in a position to recommend with the requisite degree of confidence the use of the chosen system at elections in Ireland in June 2004.

That is exactly what we said. The public did not have confidence in it because of its lack of knowledge about it and the way it was bulldozed through by the Government. The commission also said: "In addition, the commission recognises that the threshold of proof required"——

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