“THE voting machines worked quite well in the last election — they worked excellently. Fine Gael is afraid of them and wants to return to paper and pencils. Even though we are a country of technology, Fine Gael would rather go back to the old way — a haon, a dó, a trí and use the pencils.”

THE key backdrop to the 2002 general election was the public view on the competence of both the Government and the opposition.