Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I agree with the points made yesterday about the reaction to the Barron report on the Dublin and Monaghan bombings. We should not rush to judgment but it is imperative that both the British and Irish Governments take the lead in terms of where we go next. What is the next step? We owe this not only to the victims, but to their families and the survivors who suffered such grievous loss on that fateful day 29 years ago.

Electronic voting was discussed at the meeting of the Committee on the Environment and Local Government. I was not at the meeting because I was engaged in a debate in this House, but expert advice revealed a degree of doubt about the electronic voting system. A number of academics, including a PhD student, were present and they were well versed on the issue. They pointed out flaws in the system. The chairman of the committee, Deputy Seán Power, is writing to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to convey the committee's reservations. It is imperative that the Minister looks at what we now know about electronic voting and considers ways to resolve difficulties with the system. The local and European elections are in June 2004 and a substantial amount of money is being spent on electronic voting not just on implementing the system, but on advertising it. It is imperative that it is examined and I ask the Leader to convey that message to the Minister and get a response.