Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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Question 16: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if there will be political or staff responsibility for the decision to lease storage for 25 years in respect of electronic voting machines in Counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18227/09]

John Gormley (Dublin South East, Green Party)
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I indicated on a number of occasions that I was considering the position in relation to the electronic voting and counting project. On 23 April 2009, I announced that the Government have decided not to proceed with the implementation of electronic voting in Ireland. A process will now be put in place, including discussions with the supplier, to address the disposal of the electronic voting and counting equipment and termination of storage arrangements.

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 accommodation for the electronic voting machines and ancillary equipment, and the detailed contractual and other arrangements put in place by Returning Officers reflected the varying circumstances applying at local level.

In 2007, over 60% of the electronic voting machines (some 4,762 in total) were moved to a central storage facility located at Gormanston Army Camp. 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 Government decision to proceed with the movement of the electronic voting equipment to centralised premises was the right approach in the circumstances.

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. In May 2008, I accepted the recommendations made by the consultants and these recommendations are in the process of being implemented. It is expected that, in certain instances, the termination of lease arrangements will give rise to buy-out costs and these will be dependent upon the outcome of negotiations. Work on the termination of local lease arrangements, including relating to Cavan/Monaghan, will now continue in the context of the decision taken to conclude the electronic voting and counting project.