I move amendment No. 1:
In page 5, before section 1, to insert the following new section:
1.—This Act (other than Part 3) shall not come into operation until such time as the Commission established by Part 3 certifies that the other provisions of this Act are in accordance with the highest standards of transparency and accountability and fully safeguard the integrity and privacy of the voting process in a verifiable manner.”.
We are making a bad start to our proceedings. The Minister should have responded positively to Deputy Allen's request. If we cannot deal with the matter here, we can return to it on Report Stage in the House.
The Minister has established a commission to consider the issue of electronic voting, specifically its safety and security. The commission is required to report by 1 May. The Bill presumes that it will report positively — a substantial presumption. There is little point in having a commission to look at the safety and security of electronic voting and, before it has an opportunity to report or make its views known, running a Bill through the Houses of the Oireachtas which may be enacted before the commission reports if the Minister wants the system in place by 11 June. The Bill assumes that the commission will roll over and do what the Minister wants. This puts the commission in an invidious position. It is being asked to report on a matter when the Government is putting a Bill through the Houses to give effect to it. It may recommend changes to the way in which the system will operate or that it should not proceed at all. It is nonsense to introduce legislation which simply presumes that the commission will rubberstamp the system. My amendment would mean that the Bill would not come into operation until the commission certifies that it is satisfied that what is contained in the Bill and the system of electronic voting for which it provides is safe, transparent and meets the highest standards of accountability.