TAOISEACH BERTIE Ahern defended the Government's decision to retain the stored electronic voting machines.
Mr Ahern said that a technology report showed it required the development of new software for the machines to have the confidence of the House and the public.
"It is technically not difficult to do this. It means an enhancement of the machines and the development of the software they use." All the advice and reports stated that this was possible to do, he added.
"My view is that we are best doing this in the context of the electoral commission that will take over all of the responsibilities," he said.
"Any attempt to do it another way will not find favour in this House. If it does not find favour in this House, we well be back in controversy.
"It is a fact that - I would urge the House in this respect - practically every place in the world, with very few exceptions from the great democracies to the states of India to the poor of the world, is using technology systems."
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore said that the machines had cost 60 million, which could have been better spent.
"None of the Taoiseach's Ministers want to touch this. Every time the line Minister, Deputy Gormley or his predecessors, are asked about it, they run a mile.
"At some stage, it will take a Minister to decide the inevitable on what we all know: these machines will not be used. Continuing to store them is adding more cost to the waste already incurred in the project.
"Somebody must decide to call it a day, and that they will never be used.
"As the Taoiseach has a window for several weeks, he might unburden his ministerial colleagues with such a decision and write them off."
Mr Ahern said that while the old system might be enjoyable, it was the way of the past.
"As a country, we should be very proud of what we have achieved. We are a service country: 4 per cent of the entire world's global services originate in this country.
"This is a huge achievement for the Irish economy. In our best areas - pharmaceutical, medical and information and communication technology - we should be seen to lead."
It was important not to affront ourselves, said Mr Ahern.
