Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 104: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the contract arrangements for storage of electronic voting machines. [17499/06]

Ivor Callely (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 105: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the costs associated with the storage of electronic voting machines; the provisions his Department have made. [17500/06]

Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 104 and 105 together.

Responsibility for the security and safe storage of manual voting electoral materials (such as ballot boxes, stamping instruments, and stationery) is a matter for the Returning Officers, who are statutorily responsible for conducting the polls. Accordingly, similar responsibility was assigned to Returning Officers to make the necessary arrangements in relation to the storage of the electronic voting machines and equipment. Returning Officers undertook the task of procuring suitable dry accommodation for the electronic voting machines and ancillary equipment, and the detailed contractual and other arrangements put in place by Returning Officers reflect the varying circumstances applying at local level. Information provided by Returning Officers to my Department indicates that the total annual storage cost for the electronic voting machines and ancillary equipment (which includes rent, insurance, service charges, rates, heating) is some €696,000.