I propose to take Questions Nos. 176 and 184 to 186, inclusive, together.
The hardware and software of the electronic voting and counting system has been subjected to an extensive testing regime by a range of inde pendent Irish and international test institutes and companies and by my Department. All tests have confirmed that the system operates satisfactorily, is secure and maintains the integrity of votes cast. The use of the software referred to has been specifically evaluated by an independent software company who have confirmed that it is suitable for purpose. My Department is considering additional security measures, both technical and procedural, which will ensure a high level of security in the use of the system. The computers which will be used for the election setup and the counting of votes are stand-alone and will not be connected to the Internet or to any internal or external network. The computers will be security hardened before delivery. In the even of a power failure the voting machine will be connected to a battery until power is restored. Votes cast will be secure at all times. Cost comparisons of a national poll carried out with the present system and the new system will not be available until after the first use of the new system countrywide next year.
I refer also to the reply to Question No. 202 of 9 October 2003 in relation to the integrity and security of the system. The Council of Europe is at present considering the standards required for an e-voting system which would make use of the Internet and telephones. Some countries have concerns about the security of such systems especially in relation to the secrecy of the ballot. The system to be used in this country is not such a system.
Question No. 177 answered with Question No. 34.
