Results 201-220 of 406 for speaker:Charlie McCreevy
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: The system will be the most accurate and, therefore, the most democratic we have ever had.
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: The electronic voting and counting project is not about change for the sake of change or technology for the sake of technology. Its fundamental purpose is to improve the efficiency, speed, accuracy and user-friendliness of elections and to eliminate the democratic wastage associated with spoilt votes. There were more than 20,000 in the 2002 general election, equivalent to 1.1% of all votes....
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Many of us may reminisce nostalgically about sealing wax, twine and stubby pencils, three million ballot papers and the long counts we have all had to endure.
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Is any Member suggesting that we should not critically examine how elections in the 21st century are managed? Is any Member suggesting that, now when Government and citizen interface electronically in so many ways, voting and vote counting should remain immune from such interaction?
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Electronic voting will deliver to voters and political practitioners a higher level of service and a high class, modernised voting and counting system. The Government believes that, subject to rigorous testing and due diligence, these benefits should be delivered as quickly as possible to the people. This progress should not be delayed to the public and certainly not on account of conspiracy...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: For the first time in our history, three million electors will have the opportunity of voting on electronic voting machines. Upwards of 15,000 election staff will manage the elections electronically from election set-up, to voting and to vote counting. The arrangements for the these polls have been subject to intense parliamentary, media and public scrutiny.
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: This system is secure, reliable and can be trusted by the people. It has been in use for over ten years in the Netherlands, for some years in a number of German cities, in pilot polls in the UK and at two polls in this country. It has also been approved for use in a number of constituencies in France in the forthcoming European Parliament elections. The governments, opposition parties and...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Their democracies are not damaged or diminished in any way because of the use of electronic voting and counting. What is so peculiar to this country that a similar system cannot operate satisfactorily here?
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Unfortunately, the political Opposition in this country is more willing to indulge in wild conspiracies and the tactics of total opposition. We have heard much from the Opposition about trustworthiness and the need for security, but we have not been given a full and balanced picture.
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: The voting machine hardware and software have been rigorously tested on two separate occasions. The first time was before the pilot use of the system in 2002 while the second was last year, following some modifications to the voting machine to make it easier for voters to use and the addition of extra security features. The German science and technology institute, Physikalisch-Technische...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: No.
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Other tests on the voting machine hardware have been run by the Dutch electronic products and services company, TNO and KEMA Quality B.V. accredited by the Dutch Council for Accreditation. These companies have examined and certified the physical voting machine components and also subjected the voting machine and the supporting equipment to compliance tests in line with international standards...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: With regard to the election management software an independent Irish software firm, Nathean Technologies, has undertaken a comprehensive architectural code review of the election software. It has concluded that the code does not contain elements which can corrupt the correct running of the software. As a further precaution, all the computers to be used in the election will be stand-alone...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Regarding the security of the voting machines and the protocols surrounding the election, the Department has introduced rigorous procedures for secure storage and maintenance throughout polling. On foot of a comprehensive security assessment, which was undertaken on behalf of the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government by Zerflow Information Security, several additional...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: While our present system has worked well, one does not hear the same alarm stories about the security of the paper ballot and the possibilities that exist to interfere with such a box. It would be much easier for votes to be compromised or lost with a paper ballot. The electronic system has proved to be totally dependable through its record over the years in other countries and in our pilot...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: It is a fundamentally false premise of the Opposition and other critics that we are somehow losing a perfect system. Anyone who attends counts knows that this is not the case. By far the most important part of this is that thousands of people go to the polls and cast a ballot which they think is valid but which is ruled out because of an inadvertent error.
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: This is not some hypothetical possibility, it is what happens every time we use the traditional system which almost certainly impacts on the results of elections. In the last local elections 24,000 people had their votes disallowed, overwhelmingly because of inadvertent errors such as indistinct numerals or a failure to properly stamp the ballot. Meanwhile 40 councillors were returned by less...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: If there is a proven case available to us which will end this flaw in our democratic system, adopting it is not an option, it is essential for all true democrats. Every vote should be accurately counted and every mandate should reflect the exact intent of those who have taken the time to participate. This is exactly what the new system will achieve. By the way, the manner in which we transfer...
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: Yes it will.
- Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)
Charlie McCreevy: At the last election when only a certain number of constituencies used this system and the others used the traditional system that was how it worked. Under the new system, however, it will be possible for the ballot to be counted throughout the country in the same way and the correct way.