Ciarán Lynch (Cork South Central, Labour)
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Question 88: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if he will provide up-to-date figures for the cost of storage of the e-voting machines both centrally stored and not centrally stored; when it is anticipated that the inter-departmental task force into the disposal of the redundant electronic voting equipment will issue its final report including a timeframe for the ending of outstanding leases and the disposal of the equipment; the cost of maintaining an official e-voting website and the reason it is considered necessary to maintain a website long after the e-voting project has been scrapped; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4183/11]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Following the Government decision not to proceed with implementation of electronic voting in Ireland, an Interdepartmental Task Force, chaired by my Department, was established to bring the project to an orderly conclusion and to oversee disposal of the equipment and termination of storage arrangements. The Task Force aims to complete its work as soon as possible.

In considering options for disposal of the equipment, the priority is to pursue the most economically advantageous approach, with a view to achieving the maximum recovery of cost possible in the circumstances, consistent with environmental and other obligations. In 2007, over 60% of the machines (4,762 in total) were moved from 12 local storage locations to a central facility at Gormanston Army Camp. One-off costs associated with the movement of these machines were €328,363.21. There are no ongoing rental costs in respect of the use of this property. Costs of €552.83 were incurred in 2009 in respect of equipment to monitor the environmental storage conditions at the Gormanston premises. A further 14 machines are held in the Custom House.

The remaining machines are stored at 13 local premises that were originally identified by Returning Officers for this purpose. It is intended that all machines will be removed from their present locations when arrangements for disposal are implemented. Work on termination of local lease arrangements is proceeding in this context.

Figures for storage costs incurred from 2004 to 2009 are included in the table. A further €5,566 was expended in 2010 in relation to work undertaken on behalf of the Department by DTZ Sherry Fitzgerald in respect of the negotiation of local lease arrangements. Figures for costs incurred by Returning Officers for the local storage of the electronic voting equipment in 2010 are currently being gathered and are therefore not yet available. Storage Costs for the Electronic Voting Equipment 2004-2009

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 89: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the position regarding postal votes; the circumstances under which a person may be allocated a postal vote, that is, holidays, work and so on; the length of time they must be away before the election; the closing date for inclusion on the postal vote list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4224/11]

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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Postal voting is provided for in electoral law in respect of certain categories of person who are entered in the register of electors. The Electoral Act 1992 provides for postal voting by whole-time members of the Defence Forces, members of the Garda Síochána, and Irish diplomats serving abroad and their spouses. Subsequent legislation enacted by the Oireachtas has extended postal voting to other categories: electors living at home who are unable to vote because of a physical illness or a physical disability (the Electoral (Amendment) Act 1996); electors whose occupation, service or employment makes it likely that they will be unable to vote in person at their local polling station on polling day and full-time students registered at their home who are living elsewhere while attending an educational institution in the State - in these cases, the law provides for completion of the necessary voting documentation at a Garda station (the Electoral Act 1997); certain election staff employed at the poll outside the constituency where they reside (the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2001); and electors who because of the circumstances of their detention in prison pursuant to an order of a court are likely to be unable to go in person on polling day to vote (the Electoral (Amendment) Act 2006).

Where duration of absence is a factor to be considered in an application to a registration authority for a postal vote, the matter is determined on its merits by the authority involved. The last date for receipt of applications to be entered onto postal vote lists is 25 November annually. However, in the case of a general election the law provides for a period of two days following the dissolution of the Dáil in which an application for inclusion in the supplement to the postal voters list can be made.