International committee may be charged with saving e-voting

An international committee of experts may be set up to examine the necessary software changes to put the €52m e-voting system to use, it emerged today.

On the back of a report on e-voting, Environment Minister Dick Roche said correcting the problems identified in the software would cost far less than scrapping the machines.

“The way to do that would be to establish an international peer review committee that will ensure that any software changes are absolutely A one, and we can do that in Ireland,” he said.

Mr Roche said the sensible approach to take would be to review and examine the implications of the report of the independent Government-appoined body that probed electronic voting.

The commission said it was satisfied with the security and accuracy of the €52m e-voting system, but said the separate software to count the votes was not suitable and should be replaced.

The independent body called for further testing and improved security measures.

“I am going to propose to the Cabinet that we will establish a sub-committee that will look at the implications,” he said.

He admitted public confidence in the security of the system would have to be rebuilt.

“It certainly won’t be used in the 2007 election and I have made that clear for some time,” he said.

Mr Roche said the existing software applications cost €460,000 of the total €52m cost of the project.

“To correct it would cost a whole lot less than to scrap the machines,” he said.

Mr Roche said the electoral system needed to be improved with 11,000 spoiled votes in at the 2002 election.