TDs will simply press a button to make their feeling known on a particular issue rather than trooping through the lobbies when electronic voting is introduced to the Dáil tomorrow night.
The Government Chief Whip, Mr Seamus Brennan, announced the measure yesterday as part of a package of reforms which he said was designed to increase the relevance and effectiveness of the Oireachtas.
The measures include increased monitoring of proposed EU legislation to allow, according to Mr Brennan, for more sustained, systematic and rigorous investigation and assessment. Within four weeks of the initial receipt of new EU legislation the responsible Government department will provide the relevant Dáil committee with a short paper indicating the nature and purpose of the proposal and an initial indication of the possible implications for Ireland. The committee could decide to hold hearings.
However, Mr Brennan conceded that all aspects of the reform package had not been fully agreed and would remain to be finalised when the new Dáil met after the general election. The computerised electronic voting system cost €500,000. Each deputy will be assigned a particular seat for votes. In front of each is a green Tá button and a red Níl button. Rather than having to leave their seats and walk up the steps through the lobbies, they will be able to vote simply by pressing one of the buttons.
A large screen above the press gallery shows an array of lights which correspond to each seat in the Chamber and will be illuminated in green if a particular TD has voted Yes and in red if the vote is No. A short description of the subject matter of the vote and the names of the tellers are also displayed, as well as a countdown clock to indicate the amount of time available for voting. During that time deputies may change their vote.
The procedure for voting will remain largely the same as at present but the length of time taken to complete a vote will be reduced from around 20 minutes to 11 minutes.
The Ceann Comhairle, party whips, appointed tellers, or any 20 deputies or more, may request that a vote be taken again, either electronically or in the traditional way.
Mr Brennan said votes on the election of a Taoiseach, votes of confidence, the Budget, would be done in the traditional way. The buttons on either side of a deputy are within very easy reach; however, Mr Brennan said he did not expect that there would be any abuses of the system. There were no penalties in place yet for a TD who voted more than once. In the Spanish parliament, where the electronic system was in place for the past 25 years, it had never happened, he said. "If it is deliberately done the penalty will be extremely severe," said Mr Brennan.
The Progressive Democrats party whip, Mr Des O'Malley, said he had tried to get electronic voting introduced 12 years ago but the Taoiseach at that time (Mr Charles Haughey), while initially agreeing to it, changed his mind a few days later.
"He said he liked his deputies to confide in him and they mightn't have the opportunity if we had electronic voting. I am glad the forces of conservatism that are very strong in this House have been overcome. There is only one parliament still on the cattle mart system of voting and that's Westminster. It is one of the few things we are ahead of them on."
The party whips, Mr Paul Bradford of Fine Gael, Mr O'Malley, Mr Pat Rabbitte (standing in for the Labour chief whip, Mr Emmet Stagg), and Mr John Gormley of the Green Party, also representing the Independents, praised Mr Brennan for his work in this area.
Editorial Comment: page 13; TDs and media need to change attitudes: page 12