Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the cost to date of the development, roll out and promotion of the electronic voting and counting system; the cost to date of storage and maintenance of the system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28706/07]

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the cost to date of the development, roll out and promotion of the electronic voting and counting system; the cost to date of storage and maintenance of the system; the action required, the agency by which it is required and the timescale to facilitate the re-introduction of the stored machines; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28685/07]

Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 92: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views on the 25 year storage contracts entered into by a number of returning officers to store electronic voting machines; if he made allowance for depreciation and obsolescence of the said machines; if it is intended to use these machines in future elections; if he has noted the decision by the authorities in the Netherlands to abandon electronic voting for the foreseeable future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25290/07]

Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Labour)
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Question 99: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the Cabinet committee on electronic voting last met; when a final decision will be made as to whether to proceed with electronic voting; if he has plans for disposal of the electronic voting machines [28705/07]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 71, 89, 92 and 99 together.

The total cost incurred to date in the development and roll-out of the electronic voting and counting system is €51.3 million (including €2.6 million in respect of awareness and education initiatives). In addition, information provided by returning officers to my Department indicates that the total annual storage costs incurred by them in respect of the electronic voting machines and ancillary equipment in 2007 is some €528,000, with figures for 2004, 2005 and 2006 amounting to some €658,000; €696,000; and €706,000 respectively. The projected lifespan of the electronic voting machines is twenty years and they do not require maintenance on an ongoing basis.

Historically, responsibility for the security and safe storage of manual voting equipment has been a matter for returning officers who are statutorily responsible for conducting the polls. Accordingly, similar responsibility was assigned to returning officers in regard to the storage of the electronic voting equipment. The Government decision to proceed with the movement of the electronic voting equipment to centralised premises was made taking into account a range of factors, including costs of current and centralised arrangements and the likely benefits to be realised. Costs incurred to date in respect of the centralised storage arrangements are some €303,000. Further costs will be incurred in relation to the completion of these arrangements, including buy-out costs.

The Cabinet Committee on Electronic Voting established by the previous Government last met on 13 February 2007. As I have already indicated, I am at present considering the next steps to be taken in relation to the electronic voting and counting project. In this regard, I will take into account the work of the Commission on Electronic Voting, relevant experiences and developments internationally, and the need to maintain public confidence in the electoral process, as well as the provisions in the Agreed Programme for Government relating to electoral reform generally.