Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 95: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his intentions regarding the future use of the electronic voting technology; the cost and associated costs to date in 2005; the likely future costs and or use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36687/05]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 548: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he expects to be in a position to provide an explanation as to the reason the e-voting project has been allowed to proceed to date in 2005 with obvious and increasing cost implications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36975/05]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 95 and 548 together.

The Government decision in February 2000 to move to electronic voting and counting in Ireland aimed at securing a broad range of identified benefits compared with the current manual arrangements, including more democratic outcomes through the minimisation of invalid votes and the more accurate counting of votes; provision of a higher level of service to the public; greater flexibility and speed in the voting and counting processes and increased use of modern information and communication technologies.

A programme of further assessment, testing and validation of the electronic voting and counting system is under way to address issues raised by the commission on electronic voting and demonstrate that the system operates reliably, securely and accurately. The timing of the further use of the system is dependent on the progress made with the above work, the ongoing work of the commission on electronic voting and on the dates on which future polls may be held.

The total cost incurred to date in the development and roll-out of the electronic voting and counting system is €51.088 million, which includes €96,074 paid in 2005 to consultants undertaking a security and risk assessment of the system as part of the above work. In addition, information provided by returning officers to my Department indicates that the total annual storage cost for the electronic voting machines and ancillary equipment is some €696,000. It is not possible at this stage to quantify total additional costs that may arise with regard to the electronic voting and counting system. In any event, such costs are likely to be small relative to the capital investment already made.