E-voting debacle - Dead duck system must be dumped

The pronouncement by the cross-party Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that the abandoned e-voting system is a “dead duck” was very apposite, but too late to prevent the wanton waste it was, and still is, even posthumously.

It is not too late, however, to cut our losses by having the €57 million useless system cease to be like an albatross around the necks of the taxpayers. Should the Government stubbornly insist on spending money to store it, it would potentially cost another €20m in the long term to do so.

That figure was arrived at by the PAC by virtue of the fact that the 7,504 useless machines are costing €700,000 a year in storage and could be there for as long as 20 years.

It would be financial folly to incur such further expense, and would exaggerate the original disastrous decision which resulted in such a gross waste of public money.

Finance Minister Brian Cowen in a speech recently preached about the prudence of Government spending and getting value for taxpayers’ money. An inauspicious record from the point of view of the same taxpayers, although one he strongly defended it, while he acknowledged the administration’s image had been damaged.

That image has been severely damaged by a national emergency in the A&E system and dire hospital waiting lists contributing to a disgraceful health service; its illegal nursing home charges; special needs services; class sizes; the millions spent on PPARS, and, of course, the multi-million e-voting debacle.

The list is extensive, to remind the minister.

The electronic voting system is typical of its arrant attitude to public money.

It proved to be nothing but a trifling and expensive distraction of various Environment Ministers — and the Government which sanctioned it — who ignored the opposition parties and computer experts who advised against it.

The Government arrogantly proceeded with its introduction, against that advice, to the serious financial detriment of the taxpayer.

The minor Government partner, the Progressive Democrats, has at this stage distanced itself from e-voting through the device of a motion at their annual conference. That abandoned the computer in favour of the familiar and traditional ballot paper.

Extraordinarily, the Government is still awaiting a report from the Commission on Electronic Voting (CEV) at this stage to discuss the matter.

There would appear to be nothing much to discuss, except how to dispose of several thousand machines, or whether they might be rescued to serve, possibly, another useful purpose.

One thing is certain. The public would not tolerate the continued wasteful expenditure of €700,000 annually to store them, and it is long gone beyond time that the Government become realistic and practical about this issue.

The e-voting system has already cost the taxpayers an unconscionable €57m in wasted public money, that could, and should, have been put to pressing and important matters for the benefit of the public.

The system will never be used — not for the next general election nor any other election — because it will be outdated, and should be dumped.