Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

I welcome the Minister's statement that France will introduce the system. It is already in operation in the UK. The Department has always insisted that the system should be tested, adapted to our needs and piloted on a major scale. The majority of the 400,000 people who voted electronically in the last election were satisfied with the system's security, accessibility and efficiency and with the final result.

We have all heard about voter apathy, which seems to have taken root in our democracy. We had a discussion this morning on the Order of Business about the media's presentation of how Parliament works. It is no wonder people are cynical and apathetic when one considers the comments about how we operate here. This change is about more than technology; it is about empowering people, particularly young people.