7 May 2020, 07:25
On 24 October 2019, the Dáil Committee on Procedure adopted the report on the Review by the Clerk of Dáil Éireann of Electronic Voting in Dáil Éireann on Thursday 17 October 2019. That report recommended a range of measures, including conducting a wider review of the Dáil’s voting system. That review has now been completed by Professor David Farrell, Head of the School of Politics and International Relations at University College Dublin.
At its meeting on Wednesday 6th May, 2020, the Committee on Procedure considered the recommendations in Professor Farrell’s report, and agreed to the recommendation that additional cameras be installed in the Dáil chamber, to make video recordings of divisions which can be used later, if necessary, as part of an audit trail. These cameras will now be procured in accordance with procurement guidelines with a final cost to be published thereafter.
The Committee on Procedure recognises the need for total confidence in the Dáil’s voting system, and arising from the Clerk’s review, steps have already been taken to reinforce this confidence, including additional certification of division sheets in the chamber.
The final report on the matter, which will include the recommendations both in the Clerk’s Review and in Professor Farrell’s report, will be a matter of the highest priority for the Committee. A copy of that report will be laid before the Dáil.
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