Pádraic McCormack (Galway West, Fine Gael)

Given that the Minister, Deputy Cullen, insisted on purchasing the electronic voting machines, despite the opposition of Deputy O'Dowd, Deputy Gilmore and me at the Joint Committee on Environment and Local Government, and that €696,000 was the cost of storing the machines up to September last year, what is the cost of storing each machine in Waterford compared with other areas? Now that the machines have been written off, they will be sold at a loss because they will not make €52 million which they cost and which was a waste of taxpayers' money. Will the Minister who was responsible for pushing this programme through, despite the opposition, be surcharged for the loss incurred on the sale of the machines? Is it intended to store the machines in the same manner next year and what will be the storage cost next year? Would it be more economical to sell the machines, even at a loss, rather than paying €700,000 to store them again next year? I hope the Minister will be able to give me the figure for the storage of the machines in Waterford, which I understand is exorbitant.

See this speech in context