Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, in view of the importance of ensuring the integrity of the new electronic voting system which dictates that the machines and their operating software should be subject to the most rigorous and comprehensive testing regime and that political and other considerations would suggest a strong case for independent validation of such testing before the machines are brought into use at elections, he intends to commission such an independent validation system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2853/04]

Martin Cullen (Waterford, Fianna Fail)
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It is of paramount importance to ensure the integrity of the electronic voting system. For this reason, my Department has engaged extensively in the independent checking and validation of all aspects of the voting equipment and software. The testing regime includes certification of the voting machine by a German test institute and by two test institutes from the Netherlands. The system software has also been validated for robustness and accuracy by an Irish company and by a UK company specialising in the PR-STV count rules. My Department has also undertaken comprehensive testing of all aspects of the system.