[E-voting] Bertie: Lack of e-voting a disgrace

[Aengus Lawlor]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0425/voting.html

Lack of e-voting a disgrace, says Ahern
Wednesday, 25 April 2007 11:51

The Taoiseach has told the Dáil he was embarrassed by the fact the we did 
not have an electronic voting system when he watched the French election 
results come in within two hours.

He said he apologised to the people of Meath where he had been visiting at 
the time, and said in a technologically advanced country we were going back 
to the 'peann luaidhe'.

Mr Ahern said that with 'a bit of luck' our election would be finished 
within five days.

The Taoiseach blamed the Opposition for the electronic voting machines lying 
unused and said if they had not played politics with the issue we would not 
be the laughing stock of Europe.

He said if they had taken a mature attitude to a voting system which had 
worked, we would have electronic voting and it was a disgrace.

Labour Party leader, Pat Rabbitte criticised the €62m overspend on 
electronic voting machines.
He said this Government had presided over huge waste and the Comptroller and 
Auditor General had estimated that the cost of storing these machines was 
about €1m a year.