Noel Ahern (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)

On foot of the Government decision in February 2000 to introduce electronic voting and counting and subsequent decisions with regard to the phased roll-out of the project, my Department has been tasked with developing and delivering the project in conjunction with returning officers. Voting machines for the two pilot polls were delivered in 2002, while the remaining order for the planned nationwide roll-out of the system was placed in early 2003 for delivery later that year.

Consequently, my Department wrote to all returning officers in January 2003 asking them to make appropriate arrangements for storage of the voting equipment in advance of delivery of the equipment and giving indications of the approximate space needed. The key requirement for the storage of the voting machines and ancillary equipment is that the premises are dry and not subject to damp conditions. Returning officers were asked, in the first instance, to consider whether existing storage facilities were suitable for electronic voting equipment, to inquire, with the assistance of the Office of Public Works, as to alternative storage premises in public buildings, such as local authority offices or courthouses, or, failing that, in other suitable accommodation locally.

Responsibility for the security and safe storage of manual voting electoral materials, such as ballot boxes, stamping instruments, stationery etc. has always been a matter for returning officers who are statutorily responsible for conducting elections and referenda. Accordingly, similar responsibility rests with them with regard to the storage of electronic voting machines and equipment. With significant investment being made in modernising the electoral system, returning officers were entrusted with the task of procuring suitable dry accommodation for the electronic voting machines and ancillary equipment.

In view of returning officer responsibilities and the statutory independence of their function, my Department had no involvement in the procurement processes. Nevertheless, summary information on storage costs and arrangements was received in the Department from the returning officers. Four returning officers were able to avail of storage facilities in their local courthouse free of charge. However, due to lack of space, the majority of returning officers, namely 24, had to source alternative accommodation with the average costs working out at just over €27,000 per annum.

The total annual cost for storage of electronic voting equipment, including the cost of insurance, service charges, rates, heating etc., is €659,000, including VAT. In some instances, storage comprises only an element of the rental costs, with some returning officers taking the opportunity to acquire modern accommodation for storage, the training of polling staff and other electoral administrative duties. This was a necessary step for health and safety reasons and as former accommodation in courthouses and local authority premises was gradually becoming unavailable.

There are ongoing costs for storage of existing ballot boxes and other manual election equipment. An intended consequence of electronic voting is that the requirements of the Office of Public Works and the Government Supplies Agency to maintain large elections stores facilities, containing stationery, polling information cards, ballot boxes and other related items would no longer exist.

In addition to storage cost information, six returning officers supplied details of ownership of the storage premises and this information was presented to the House in reply to Deputy McGrath last week.

To get more comprehensive data on storage arrangements, my Department has written to all returning officers seeking further information on storage and insurance arrangements, including specific data on ownership and compliance with public procurement requirements. I will make this information known to the House once these returns are received and collated.

I am confident my Department and the Department of Finance will continue to work with returning officers to ensure the necessary storage facilities are provided as economically and cost efficiently as possible. The fundamental point is that the system is continuing as it has always been.

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