TDs vote with their feet as new system is infected

Computer hackers looking for opportunities to sabotage the State need look no further than the Dáil voting system.

According to Dáil chief whip and e-minister Ms Mary Hanafin, the recently installed electronic voting system - which allows deputies to vote by pressing a green Tá or red Níl button from the comfort of their Dáil seats - is infected with a virus.

"Apparently they can't put in a virus programme because of the 60-second countdown" during which deputies could vote, she told a room packed with computer security specialists on Wednesday evening.

The virus - which could be the recent Slammer virus or more likely, the new Lovgate virus which began attacking systems in Europe during the week - brought the voting system down, forcing deputies to revert to the old practice of climbing to the Dáil balcony to vote.

Asked about the problem yesterday, an official in the Oireachtas information technology department said: "Don't know anything about that. We aren't responsible for the voting system, that's someone else." Could he reveal who? "I couldn't give any names or numbers," he said.

However, a spokeswoman for the Oireachtas confirmed the voting system had been laid low, but only would go as far as saying a virus was "suspected". She said the Office of Public Works was responsible for the voting system.

An OPW spokeswoman said: "It appears that a virus has got in." Because the Dáil was still sitting until last night, workers had not yet had a chance to examine the system, she said, but "we're optimistic it should be back up and running by Tuesday". She added: "I'm sure it was an aggravation to the deputies having to get up out of their seats again."

Ms Hanafin was speaking at the launch of a new Irish branch of the Information Systems Security Association - but she had to leave the meeting early to vote.