An electoral commission might be needed to build up public confidence in e-voting machines over a number of years before they are put into operation, Minister for the Environment Dick Roche said yesterday. He added there was no prospect of such machines being used in a general election in the next few years.
Mr Roche was responding to reports that hackers in The Netherlands had managed to break into e-voting machines.
He said the Irish e-voting machines, which the Dutch hackers warned could be similarly abused, would not be employed until public confidence in them was restored.
Mr Roche said that "before ever they are used, we have to build a consensus between all political parties" and there had to be public confidence restored in their use.
Mr Roche said he was currently dealing with a "legacy" of difficult issues in relation to the management of elections.
The updating of the electoral register was currently being tackled. The Government had set up a commission to examine the use of the e-voting machines and would be implementing the recommendations of that commission.
Mr Roche said he had always worked well with the Progressive Democrats and his preference was for the current coalition Government arrangement to remain in place.
But he had also "always worked well" with his fellow Wicklow representative in the Dáil, Mildred Fox, one of the Independent deputies who, he said, supported the Government because of its successful record.
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