Michael McCarthy (Labour)

I support the amendment. It is important to restore a sense of trust and inject public confidence in the electoral process. It is important that a voter have a guarantee that his or her vote has been lodged and recorded. We must move beyond a simple record that the voter has pressed the "cast vote" button. A voter-verified paper must also be provided.

Last night a comparison was made with ATM machines. When I use an ATM machine I keep my receipt and consult it afterwards — I am not referring to recent banking blunders — to be sure the transaction has been conducted accurately. We need an assurance that any transaction has been conducted accurately and that an accurate record of it is provided. This amendment should be considered in that context.