The new Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, has left open the prospect that electronic voting will not be introduced before the next general election. Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent, reports.
Mr Roche, whose predecessor, Mr Martin Cullen, suffered from a high-profile failure to introduce the system for the recent local and European elections, said yesterday he would take some time to consider what to do.
After the introduction of the system was postponed earlier this year amid concerns over its operation, Mr Cullen said he did not know whether it would be introduced in time for the next general election.
Mr Roche yesterday echoed this view, saying it was something that was bound to come, but he could not say when it would happen. "There are issues which have been raised, and it is very important that whatever electoral system we have, the public has confidence in it."
He said there was no doubt that electronic voting would produce a more accurate reflection of the public will in multi-seat constituencies under Ireland's single transferable vote system.
"We have a couple of years before the next general election and we will see what can be done between now and then to build confidence in the system and perhaps to familiarise the public with it."
The introduction of the system was postponed indefinitely after an independent commission set up by the Government raised a number of questions over its security and efficiency. Mr Roche refused to predict whether the system would have been approved and would have achieved the required level of public confidence in time for the next general election, possibly in 2006 or 2007.
The deferral was a major embarrassment for the Government and Mr Cullen. It has cost some €50 million so far.