Taxpayers’ cash ‘wasted on e-voting screw-ups’

FINE Gael has accused the Government of wasting more taxpayers’ money on electronic voting after it emerged containers bought to house the machines were too small to hold all of them.

“The juggernaut of Fianna Fáil e-voting waste trundles on, with taxpayers’ cash now being wasted on brand new screw-ups,” said the party’s environment spokesman Fergus O’Dowd.

Last year, the Government announced it would move the 7,504 machines to Gormanston Army Camp. They were being stored by returning officers in each constituency, who rented or acquired space for the purpose. The Government paid the bill of about €700,000 a year and, by moving the machines to Gormanston, hoped to reduce this.