Bernard Allen (Cork North Central, Fine Gael)

It is an issue as far as I am concerned. On page 23 of the commission's report, it is certainly an issue. The commission says that although they do not fall strictly within its terms of reference, the following observations have a bearing on the successful implementation of the system at elections in Ireland. According to the commission, the system cannot accommodate voters who wish to register an abstention and it does not have a voter-verifiable audit trail for voters. This trail is argued by many to reassure voters that their votes have been correctly recorded.

The Minister is repeating his mistakes this evening. While the Government will maintain the commission, its terms of reference will remain narrow. I ask the Minister to show his hand and tell the House exactly how he thinks we can go forward in the quagmire he has got us into. I would say also that the absence of a verifiable audit trail significantly raises the standard of proof for a positive opinion. I and many others are concerned about the €4.5 million wasted on this ludicrous programme and the Minister's statement that it is as simple as "one, two, three". Nothing is as simple as that. Will the Minister inform the House how much of the €4.5 million has been spent? Will he use the remainder to encourage people to register to vote——

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