Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)

It is interesting to return to this issue following the questions last November when, it is fair to say, the Taoiseach did not really appreciate the scale of the problem we had at the time. I am glad of his reply to the effect that some action has been undertaken. However, the issue really is whether the Taoiseach accepts we still have a problem if the on-line version of legislation in the Irish Statute Book is not dependable and people need to consult hard copy to get the verifiable version.

Does the Taoiseach accept this indicates that much money is being spent at present on a system that is not useable? This amounts to considerable wastage of taxpayers' money. This is not the first time Members have discussed the waste of taxpayers' money with regard to electronic communication matters. Can an end be seen to this debacle?

The Taoiseach mentioned other jurisdictions and the example of Tasmania is worth considering. It has undertaken to designate the electronic Statute Book as the authentic version. Can the Taoiseach envisage Ireland being able to provide assurances that the electronic version is the authentic version? Can the Taoiseach compare the cost in Tasmania of providing a level of service in which the electronic version is the authentic one, with what is spent in Ireland to provide a system that essentially is useless as far as providing a verifiable electronic form of the Statute Book is concerned? If not, I ask him to examine the matter. How much work must still be done before one can state the on-line version is verifiable?

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