Written answers
Wednesday, 13 May 2009
Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government
Election Management System
9:00 pm
Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 228: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the cost that may be accruing in the storage of the electronic voting machines regarding each storage facility that was used; and the strategy in the case of each short or long-term lease that may have been entered into. [19263/09]
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.
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 will now continue in the context of the decision taken to conclude the electronic voting and counting project.
Based on information provided to my Department by Returning Officers, the total annual costs for storage of the electronic voting equipment for the various locations are set out in the following table.
In 2007, over 60% of the machines (4,762 in total) were moved from 12 local storage locations to a central storage facility located at Gormanston Army Camp. Costs incurred to date in respect of the movement and storage of this equipment are some €328,000. These were largely one-off expenses, and there are no ongoing rental costs. Electronic Voting Machines - Annual Storage Costs 2004 - 2008
| County/City | Annual Storage Costs (incl. VAT)€ | Annual Storage Costs (incl. VAT)€ | Annual Storage Costs (incl. VAT)€ | Annual Storage Costs (incl. VAT)€ | Annual Storage Costs (incl. VAT)€ |
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| Carlow-Kilkenny* | 28,506.00 | 29,595.00 | 30,166.00 | 24,653.65 | - |
| Cavan-Monaghan | 25,828.00 | 25,828.00 | 27,075.32 | 21,608.32 | 21,685.79 |
| Clare | 10,800.00 | 3,600.00 | 3,600.00 | 3,600.00 | 3,600 |
| Cork City* | 27,207.50 | 42,499.50 | 53,942.33 | 48,561.85 | - |
| Cork County* | 37,609.30 | 37,609.30 | 35,124.00 | 35,913.29 | - |
| Donegal | 9,293.00 | 15,714.00 | 16,685.80 | 13,987.80 | 14,026.20 |
| Dublin City* | 65,000.00 | 72,350.00 | 71,265.00 | 6,954.00 | - |
| Dublin County* | 62,938.66 | 62,938.66 | 49,034.86 | Nil | - |
| Galway | 5,253.00 | 5,253.00 | Nil | 5,000 | Nil |
| Kerry | 26,125.00 | 26,125.00 | 22,624.96 | 28,003.00 | 31,875.32 |
| Kildare* | 27,125.86 | 27,125.86 | 31,984.21 | 29,364.82 | 20,748.97 |
| Laois-Offaly | 28,178.00 | 28,178.00 | 27,647.60 | 27,647.60 | 27,682.60 |
| Limerick* | 57,675.86 | 57,675.86 | 64,465.30 | 28,423.10 | - |
| Longford | 2,995.16 | 15,095.16 | 18,439.88 | 20,003.28 | 16,859.98 |
| Roscommon | 10,374.98 | 10,374.98 | 9,816.00 | 10,664.82 | 10,026.82 |
| Louth | 298.00 | 298.00 | 593.47 | 595.06 | 566.11 |
| Mayo* | 34,930.00 | 34,930.00 | 37,426.00 | 38,608.00 | - |
| Meath | 20,366 | 20,366.00 | 21,976.51 | 26,354.72 | 26,395.72 |
| Sligo | Nil | Nil | Nil | Nil | 2,500 |
| Leitrim | Nil | 3,000.00 | 3,150.00 | 3,200.00 | 3,200 |
| Tipperary (N&S)* | 42,700.00 | 42,700.00 | 31,200.00 | 39,196.00 | - |
| Waterford* | 52,888.48 | 52,888.48 | 57,699.17 | 35,989.67 | - |
| Westmeath* | 22,805.34 | 22,805.34 | 21,772.62 | 21,440.30 | - |
| Wexford | 16,875.00 | 16,876.00 | 19,064.76 | 18,934.46 | 25,057.70 |
| Wicklow* | 42,455.80 | 42,455.80 | 54,241.29 | Nil | - |
| Total | 658,228.94 | 696,281.94 | 705,995.08 | 488,703.74 | 204,225.21 |
*Machines moved to Gormanston in 2007
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