James Bannon (Fine Gael)

The Government has claimed that a paper printout would be too expensive. We have even been told that a printout would be unconstitutional. Perhaps, it would be too accountable for the Government.

According to The Economist, the US is having ongoing problems with its touch-screen electronic voting system. Experts have highlighted the dangers of using a paper free system which does not provide a physical, individual vote. Allied with other problems, it has been predicted that voters, unfamiliar with computers, could make mistakes during the rush to vote in the final hours of polling. This unfamiliarity could also lead to panic and difficulties among the elderly who have a lifetime of paper voting behind them and who may not feel confident with the new technology.

In order to make more than a superficial difference and to sell the concept to voters, other enticements beyond the supposed efficiency benefit should be put in place. The vote of our younger citizens should be courted and made more attractive. For example, if a young person is abroad during a pre-university gap year, on postgraduate studies or a working break, he or she should be able to cash in on the electronic system and vote from wherever he or she is. These young adults are our future with their confidence in and knowledge of information technology. All expatriates should have an automatic right to exercise their franchise rather than feeling beyond the Pale by virtue of living abroad.

In an ideal system, which would eliminate all doubts concerning corruption and vote-rigging, all electronic votes cast should be entered into a central terminal where it would be less likely to dispute the manner in which they were cast. Although the provisions enabling the introduction of electronic voting were included in the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001, no timescale was laid down. There is a legal doubt hanging over its proposed introduction next June. This was outlined this morning by Deputies Allen and McCormack in the Dáil, yet the guillotining of the Bill was still imposed. The Taoiseach has admitted that a ministerial order will be required to enable the system to be used in June 2004. This order will have to be made under section 48 of the Electoral (Amendment) 2001 which, in turn, will be open to constitutional challenge in the courts.

With this hanging over any proposal tointroduce electronic voting in the June elections, it would be expected, in everyone's interests, to delay full introduction until all doubts of aconstitutional and legal nature have been laid to rest. I ask the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and LocalGovernment, Deputy Gallagher, even at this late stage, to abandon the proposals for electronic voting until it is foolproof. I hope to get an opportunity later in the evening to pose further questions.