Results 181-200 of 406 for speaker:Charlie McCreevy

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: I am informed by the Revenue Commissioners that they have the entitlement to make all relevant enquiries in relation to any tax return or statement made to them and, where appropriate, to carry out an audit to verify the accuracy of the return or statement. This applies to returns or statements made by persons claiming to be non-resident as it does for all other taxpayers. Audits and other...

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: I propose to take Questions Nos. 262 and 263 together. Section 13 of the Finance Act 2002 provides that the transfer and appropriation of securities other than ordinary shares to the beneficiaries of an ESOT or APSS in the circumstances of certain takeovers may take place in a manner which preserves the tax benefits to the participants. The point at which income tax is foregone is when the...

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: We should be guided by the voting machine's past use and reliability both here and in other countries and its testing by internationally accredited testing agencies. The following matters are relevant: the US voting machines in question are generally PC-based; the Nedap voting machine is a proprietary product manufactured specifically for voting. Our counting system alone will be PC-based....

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: The new system will ensure that the elections this June are the most accurate and, therefore, the most democratic in our history. That is something all true democrats should welcome rather than try to undermine.

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "— recalling the approval by the Oireachtas of the legislative provisions for electronic voting and counting set out in the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001; — recognising the recent endorsement of the introduction of electronic voting and counting at the June 2004 polls by the Joint Committee...

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: I am responding to this debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen. The Minister is abroad on EU Presidency duties at the conference of the parties to the biodiversity convention, but he has been in communication with the Cabinet about this debate. Much has been written and said about electronic voting and counting in the...

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: It is purely a cynical political exercise. The Labour Party used to be in favour of electronic voting, but now it continually raises doubts about it. This is not about security but is pure political point scoring and is damaging to the credibility of politics.

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: Having heard the opening attacks of the Opposition, there is no doubt that the Fine Gael Party's motion has nothing to do with genuine concerns that our electoral system is in danger. The Opposition parties know that this system has already been used without complaint 70 million times. The Opposition knows that the system has been independently verified and that it will continue to be run by...

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: This will be the most accurate and, therefore, the most democratic system we have ever had. However, the Opposition parties are committed to an era of total opposition in that everything the Government does is to be opposed in a shrill and hysterical way. Tonight, the Opposition parties have united in support of the Fine Gael Party's motion in yet another example of their united cynicism and...

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: The Opposition is correct that changes in the electoral system are best when they are based on political consensus. However, it has demonstrated how it will withdraw that consensus for short-term tactical advantage. This was not always the case. When the Dáil first passed the enabling legislation for this improved system, many Opposition Deputies said that the Government was not going far...

Electronic Voting: Motion (17 Feb 2004)

Charlie McCreevy: The system has proven its reliability when used 70 million times internationally and 400,000 times in this country.

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.