Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)

The theory was that polling day was a day for politics and democracy, a day for the ritual big occasion in which everybody was involved. I ask that this notion of measuring the distance from the polling station be scrapped.

At the first election held following this rule, we had to search for the polling stations. I know the stations in my constituency and I know the ones where Deputy Seán Power did well, but I had to look around for them because there were no crowds outside. The spectacle and ritual of the occasion was done away with.

I cannot allow the occasion pass without referring to this awful debacle of electronic voting. This is a classic example where it was decided to improve democracy and improve the voting system that had served us well since the foundation of the State. Like those who attempted to improve the roundness of the wheel, so far the net benefits have not been visible to anybody. Only one system of voting should be allowed, where the voter goes into the polling station and puts their mark on the paper, as happens in democracies all over the world. If an electronic voting system was introduced in some emerging democracies, we would immediately hold up our hands and warn the system was open to abuse because it lacks transparency, accountability, a paper trail and verification. It is impossible to invent technology that is sufficiently foolproof.

I refer to the Order Paper of this House and the electronic scramble of Members' names for parliamentary questions. On one occasion I counted five Members whose questions appeared consecutively on the Order Paper. The same Deputy had Questions Nos. 35 and 36, another Deputy had Questions Nos. 37 and 38, and another Deputy had Questions Nos. 40 and 42. This should not happen because I am informed the odds are 500 million to one of this happening in the electronic system.

I ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to cut out this nonsense of keeping electronic voting equipment in storage all over the country — all the equipment is not stored yet. This is in anticipation of the big event which will be hugely costly. The electronic equipment will soon be out of date and it will not work. This was pointed out by the Opposition. Someone must call a halt to the nonsense of spending public money without consultation and in the knowledge that it could not succeed. It is amazing that nobody has accepted responsibility. Nobody has resigned and nobody has been fired.

They may think otherwise but I have the height of respect for Independent Members. It has happened that people disagree with their party and become Independent Members. This is a democracy and it is their right to do so. Whichever Government is in power, it loves having many Independent Members because it takes the focus away from the Opposition parties. It clearly indicates what the Independents are, which is independent. It gives members of the public a way to salve their conscience at election time because they can claim not to have voted for the Government and voted for an Independent instead who may be neither in the Government nor in the Opposition. Some Independents will occasionally vote with the Government and at other times vote with the Opposition. Other Independents will always vote with either the Government or the Opposition. I do not accept the notion that it is necessarily good for the country. I do nothing other than congratulate my colleague recently elected as an Independent in my constituency. If I were in Government, I would love to see more Independent Members elected to the House because I would know the chances of the Government being put out of office would grow slimmer with more Independent Members.

The Standards in Public Office Commission recommended a change in the legislation resulting in section 6 of the Bill. This change came about as a result of the famous Kelly case which took place the day after the previous general election was called. Mr. Kelly was a member of the Fianna Fáil Party. Despite the annoyance he caused that party, he subsequently successfully sought a nomination and ran for election.

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