Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

The Deputy knows the answer, yet he asks the question. He would make a good barrister. He would make a better barrister than he did a Deputy.

On whether it would be better to sell off the machines, I remind the Deputy that the Oireachtas charged the Commission on Electronic Voting to carry out an analysis of the system. Therefore, it would make no sense to decide to make that decision in advance of the CEV completing its work. I anticipate that the CEV will complete its work in a short time, and at that stage I will make a decision.

The third question the Deputy asked related to whether the cost for storage will be as high in 2006-07 as it was in 2005. I hope the figure will be less. However, contracts have been entered into in some cases and there will be a cost for breaking these. I have already indicated that my view and determination is to bring the machines to an individual storage place as quickly as possible. I repeat what I have said in the past, namely, that I do not see the circumstances arising whereby we will be using the machines in 2007. Therefore, it would be appropriate to bring them to a single storage place.

On scrapping or giving away the machines, having set up the Commission on Electronic Voting, it would be much better to wait until the commission, which has spent a significant amount of money on its work, reaches a conclusion, after which I will make a final decision.

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