The Government has been forced to make significant concessions to its plans to introduce electronic voting throughout the State in June, following Opposition objections. However, Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the Greens last night jointly insisted that a paper record of each vote would have to be kept for their concerns to be met, writes Mark Hennessy, Political Correspondent
Under the changes proposed last night, an independent statutory panel will be set up to verify the security of the system in advance of the elections. In addition, it will monitor the operation of the 6,500 NEDAP/Powervote voting machines and the counting of the votes cast in all elections to come.
Despite repeated declarations that it was not necessary, new legislation will be rushed through the Oireachtas to ensure that electronic voting results cannot be challenged.
In the Dáil, the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, said the Government was not legally or constitutionally required to bring forward new legislation, though he accepted, to be "trebly careful". The legislation would also ensure that tally information was released to the political parties, though it is likely to be somewhat less extensive than currently.
Voters will be able easily to abstain from voting, though the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has yet to settle on how this will be done.
Last night the Government made clear it would likely accept recommendations emerging from the independent panel composed "of people of distinction".
In the Dáil, the Minister for Finance, Mr McCreevy, criticised the Opposition for trying to create fears of "a dark conspiracy" amongst voters. "This is an insidious, unworthy, diabolical and appalling attempt to create doubt where there is no doubt. It is purely a cynical political exercise," he said.
Mr McCreevy stood in for the Minister for the Environment, Mr Cullen, who is on EU presidency duty attending a United Nations conference in Malaysia.
However, Mr Cullen held lengthy talks with the Attorney General, Mr Rory Brady, on the issue over recent days, his spokesman said last night. The Minister had "always been favourable" to the idea of an independent panel, the spokesman insisted - though Mr Cullen never indicated that one could be set up before June.
During the last government, the then Attorney General, Mr McDowell, who is now Minister for Justice, argued that tally information could not be given out since this would interfere with the privacy of the vote.
However, Mr Cullen has disagreed with this approach since he took up office and has consistently said he would seek to find some way around legal difficulties. Speaking from Malaysia, his spokesman said primary legislation would be introduced "in a belt and braces approach" to ensure that electronic voting could never fall victim to a legal challenge, along the lines of the Carrickmines ruling.
In that case, the High Court found that ministers had tried to operate using government regulations when it should have had laws passed by the Houses of the Oireachtas.
In his speech, Mr McCreevy said paper records were not kept in any jurisdiction where electronic voting was used, including California. Paper record-keeping was impractical, he argued, because printers would break down under heavy use: "What happens if it breaks down during polling day?"
Electronic voting systems in the United States were different from that proposed in Ireland. "Trying to compare the two is like comparing apples and oranges," he went on.
Later, he said: "The new system will ensure that the elections this June are the most accurate and therefore the most democratic in our history." Having scored a not inconsiderable victory, the Opposition appears to be intent on keeping up its campaign against the Government in coming days.
Marking the increasing co-operation between Fine Gael and Labour, the leader of the Labour Party, Mr Pat Rabbitte, paid tribute to Fine Gael leader Mr Kenny. "He has already succeeded in flushing out the division and unease within and between the Government parties on this issue and has forced a partial climbdown by the Government," Mr Rabbitte said.
The promise of primary legislation "simply highlights the incompetent way the entire process has been handled", Mr Kenny said.