Cyprian Brady (Fianna Fail)

On testing of the system, we had the privilege of hearing technical expertise, for and against the system, from a number of experts in this field. The Nedap-Powervote system has been tested by Irish and international experts. There are many checks and balances within the system from the time the poll is initiated through to the count and finalisation of the results.

As regards the source code, version 115 was in use last October-November which illustrates the technicalities involved. We are speaking of tens of thousands of lines of computer code. That is extremely technical data. The source code, as the Minister of State pointed out on more than one occasion last night, is being examined for the future. As the Minister said earlier, the commission stated it could not say that the system as proposed would not work. However, it did state that it had not had sufficient time to verify it. I do not believe the security of the system is at issue. That it has been tested time and again will prove beneficial in the end.