Minister again critical of Opposition e-vote 'experts'

The Minister for the Environment has criticised the Opposition for failing to look at electronic voting systems across the world, and instead focusing only on the US.

Mr Cullen asked why did the Opposition not consult Ireland's EU neighbours about Nedap, the system to be used in all constituencies for the local and European elections in June.

He also attacked the tenor of the electronic voting debate which had been "marked by statements from people who have never used or seen the voting machine and, consequently, know little about it".

He asked the Opposition: "Why don't you look at India or Brazil where millions of voters use electronic voting and counting? Why can't we, with only three million voters, use the system when such diverse countries ranging from the developed countries of Europe to the less-developed countries of India and Brazil use electronic voting and counting?"

The Minister also repeated remarks questioning the "so-called experts" who were querying the system.

Mr Cullen was winding up the Second Stage debate on the Electoral (Amendment) Bill which allows for the use of electronic voting in the June 11th elections.

Throughout the Dáil debate on the Bill, which has continued for a number of weeks, there was a "lack of trust in technology".

He said much of that probably comes from the e-mails the Opposition received from people, many of whom claimed to be IT experts.

"These people do not have a problem using IT, but they do not want other people to use it."

They were not representative of the entire IT industry and community, "and they are not all experts".

Opposition deputies kept referring to the experts but "have you stopped for one minute to ask these people where their expertise comes from, especially in electoral matters?

"We can all claim to be experts, but the Opposition should be more circumspect in believing everything they hear or receive in e-mails".

He said the Opposition had given little heed to the evidence of people who had worked for decades with technology in the electoral area.

Instead TDs "chose to dwell on evidence given by opponents of the system, some of whom have no experience of elections and little proven expertise in IT".

Ms Jan O'Sullivan (Labour, Limerick East) had expressed her concern about the impact of electronic voting on those with visual impairment - about 40,000 people.

Mr Cullen said assisting disabled and other groups was one of the main arguments for using electronic voting.

Ms Maire Hocter (FF, Tipperary North) said the new system would bring "speed, efficiency and accuracy.

"While the present system is good, it will be improved by the new electronic mechanism".