Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 33: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government his views and proposals in the ongoing matter of the costly storage of the e-voting technology; if he will examine, review or otherwise revise the storage contracts involved; if he has carried out an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the major capital expenditure involved in the manufacture, development and promotion of the technology; if it is intended to advertise the equipment on the international markets with a view to cutting the losses incurred; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8102/08]

James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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Question 39: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when he plans to dispose of the e-voting machines that are being stored by the Government at the expense of the taxpayer; and if this is not his intention, the future role he envisages for them to justify the expense of storing them. [7699/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 197: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if other countries that currently use e-voting might be persuaded to accept e-voting technology in storage here, for a particular sum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8407/08]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 198: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he has had discussions within his Department, with other Departments or representatives of other jurisdictions, with a view to the disposal of the e-voting technology; if other jurisdictions with confidence in such a system might be willing to pay the full capital costs and storage costs to date in the event of an agreed sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8408/08]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 39, 197 and 198 together.

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 Camp.

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.

I am at present considering the next steps to be taken in relation to this project. In this, I am taking into account the work of the Commission on Electronic Voting which has examined the system, relevant experiences and developments internationally, and the need to maintain public confidence in the electoral process, as well as the provisions in the Programme for Government relating to electoral reform generally. My Department has not made or received enquiries or approaches, relating to other jurisdictions, along the lines referred to in the Questions.