Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

The commission should have been given the power to tell the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government get rid of the electronic voting machines and consign them to history. I do not say that as a political point.

I love the cut and thrust of the count. I have been beaten and I have been director of elections on count day. I remember ringing a great friend of mine, former Senator Cregan, at 2 o'clock in the afternoon to say he was finished and at 2 o'clock in the morning he won by six votes. The ballot box, as my mother used to say, is a great leveller. One knows who one's friends are.