"Our silly old system is outdated . . . we have to correct the software, which will cost €500,000, and then try to move forward. Otherwise we will go into the 21st century being the laughing stock with our stupid old pencils". – then-taoiseach Bertie Ahern, October 17th, 2006
"The Government position is that we're still testing the system because we want to reassure people about the integrity and security of the system. Minister Roche doesn't envisage that the system will be available for the next election because of time constraints". – Noel Dempsey, The Irish Times, September 27th, 2005
"The paper trail issue arises primarily because of the PC-based system as opposed to the system we have adopted. We deliberately took the policy decision in this country to move away from the paper-based system to an electronic voting system". – then minster for the environment, Martin Cullen, The Irish Times, Wednesday, February 25th, 2004
"It is clear from consideration of the Report of the Commission on Electronic Voting that significant additional costs would arise to advance electronic voting in Ireland. This decision has been taken to avoid such costs, especially at a time of more challenging economic conditions". - Minister for the Environment John Gormley Thursday April 23rd, 2009
"My immediate reaction was good riddance to bad rubbish. It was a foolhardy project to start with, one which was very badly designed, but that's not to say I would have won my seat" – former minister for justice Nora Owen, Thursday April 23rd, 2009