Seán Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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Question 1316: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position on the leasing of storage space for electronic voting machines and equipment on a constituency basis; the length and cost of lease in each case; the allowance which will be made for depreciation and obsolescence in each case; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1019/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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Responsibility for storage of manual voting equipment has always been a matter for the local returning officers and so similar responsibility was assigned to them in regard to the electronic voting equipment. In the majority of cases, leases were entered into by them for the storage of the machines, which have a 20-year lifespan. The Government decision to centralise storage of the electronic voting equipment was made taking into account a range of factors, including costs of local and centralised arrangements and the likely benefits to be realised; the majority of the electronic voting machines are now stored in containers at Gormanston Aerodrome. The following table sets out information provided by returning officers regarding storage arrangements entered into by them in each of the 25 locations involved:

My Department engaged consultants with valuation expertise in May 2007, following a competitive tendering process, to examine individual lease arrangements and to make recommendations as to termination of the leases, where appropriate. The consultants recommendations are currently under consideration in the Department.