Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 802: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the amounts paid to date in respect of the storage of electronic voting machines; if he will give a breakdown of the recipients in each case and the amount paid; if his Department has begun a process of attempting to buy out leases in respect of agreements entered into by returning officers for the storage of such equipment; the estimated likely cost of this process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29257/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Information provided by returning officers to my Department indicates that the total annual storage cost, including rental, insurance, service charges, rates etc., for the electronic voting machines and ancillary equipment is some €696,000; details provided by returning officers in respect of ownership of premises and annual rental costs are set out in the following table. Payments to returning officers in respect of their electoral duties are made by the Department of Finance from the central fund. While I have requested my Department to examine the question of central storage for the voting machines and ancillary equipment, no process to buy out leases entered into by returning officers has been initiated. It would not be appropriate to comment at this stage on likely costs that might be involved with such a process given the commercial considerations involved.