The Bill to legalise the use of electronic voting would change the procedures on who can vote and whose vote might be cancelled, Labour's environment spokesman, Mr Eamon Gilmore, has claimed.
But the Tánaiste, Ms Harney, accused Mr Gilmore of putting out "scare stories" following the publication yesterday of the Electoral Amendment Bill.
The legislation will facilitate electronic voting in all constituencies for the local and European elections on June 11th.
As the opposition criticised the lack of time allowed to debate the legislation, which has to be enacted before the elections, Ms Harney confirmed that the second stage debate on the legislation - its first in the Dáil - would not be completed next week.
Mr Michael D. Higgins (Labour, Galway West) said that because of the identification carried by refugees and immigrants, they were able to register but not able to vote at a polling station, according to the Bill, as published.
He asked if there was going to be more legislation to deal with the anomaly because, as published, it meant that the identification used by people to register on the supplementary register would be insufficient to enable them to vote.
Ms Harney stressed that those residing in the State would be entitled to vote in the European and local elections, and if there was a difficulty it could be amended.
She said she was not aware of any difficulty in the legislation, but if there was one she had no doubt the Government would be anxious to correct it and should do so.
Mr Gilmore said that the Bill would not re-enact existing legislation, as the Taoiseach had told the Dáil, but was going to change the procedures used in polling stations, who was entitled to vote and whose vote might be cancelled.
It was inappropriate that such legislation should be introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, as the director of elections for the main Government party, Mr Gilmore said.
However, Ms Harney said the Labour spokesman was putting out "scare stories" about what would happen as a consequence of the legislation.
Mr Gilmore claimed that the legislation was being rushed through the House and said there was insufficient time to consider the Bill properly before its introduction next week.
Ms Harney said she was satisfied that there would be plenty of time for the Bill.
But Mr Gilmore said that the Progressive Democrats were "letting Fianna Fáil turn this country into a banana republic".
Fine Gael's environment spokesman, Mr Bernard Allen, also expressed concern about the second stage debate on the Bill being cut short.
He said: "On the one hand, there is an attempt to guillotine it, while on the other the Minister denies there is a guillotine in place."
He said that every TD who wished to speak on the legislation should be allowed to do so.
The Tánaiste said that an attempt to agree a schedule for the debating of the legislation had failed, but it would not finish next week.
