irish voting machines yet to be scrapped

Subject: irish voting machines yet to be scrapped
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 08:21 AM

These useless machines are still costing the taxpayer,and presumably still costing to be insured ,mean while the Irish government are talking about cutting welfare payments.

Monaghan county council has issued enforcement proceedings against the owner of a shed being used to store electronic voting machines, amid concerns that he does not have the correct planning permission.

The council confirmed that it has written to Martin Duffy, the building's owner. In 2004 he was awarded a contract to house 288 voting machines by Josephine Duffy, his aunt, and the county's returning officer.

Officials sought details of the planning conditions under which the Scotshouse shed is being used to store the machines at a cost of €542,000 over 25 years. Duffy's failure to reply to the April letter means legal proceedings have automatically started. If Duffy continues to ignore the council, court proceedings will follow.

The building costs about €21,685 a year to rent and has been leased for five years longer than the 20-year lifespan of the e-voting machines. The council is to decide if Duffy is in breach of planning restrictions on agricultural premises being used as storage premises.

The warehouse-sized shed in Scotshouse was awarded a storage contract for the e-voting machines by Josephine Duffy, Monaghan's registrar, who was responsible for locating a storage facility. It was awarded to her nephew after five other bids were rejected as unsuitable. The contract for 25 years was longer than any other signed in the country by 15 years.

It is understood a consultant's report, which the Department of the Environment has refused to release under the Freedom of Information act, has raised concerns about the costs.

Agricultural premises of certain sizes can be built without permission, but approval must be sought from a local authority if they are then used for other purposes, such as commercial storage.

Monaghan county council launched an investigation earlier this year. "All state agencies and institutions are required to adhere to planning laws in the same way members of the public are," said David Fallon, the council's director of services.

Josephine Duffy has previously said there was no conflict of interest in awarding the contract to her nephew as she was "not directly involved" in the process. She said the five rejected tenders did not meet the requirements.

"I used an auctioneer to find storage locations and the contract was drawn up between solicitors," she said.

Duffy says that from the profits for storing the machines must come deductions for costs such as heating and security.

Since 2007, 4,762 of 7,504 electronic voting machines purchased by the state in 2002 at a cost of €52m have been housed in Gormanston army barracks in Meath. Some 2,742 are still in storage in 13 counties at an annual cost of €202,000.

John Gormley, the environment minister, has decided the machines cannot be used in future elections and should be scrapped.

Subject: RE: irish voting machines yet to be scrapped
From: The Sandman
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 08:22 AM

apologies ,could this be removed to the bs section.thanks

Subject: RE: irish voting machines yet to be scrapped
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 15 Jul 09 - 10:08 AM

I dunno - it's got the makings of a good song...

Subject: RE: irish voting machines yet to be scrapped
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Jun 12 - 06:57 AM

they have now been scrapped, 2 years on, the next thing to be scrapped should be all the tds apart from 50[since we are governed from brussels], that would also save a lot of money.
martin duff was an incompetent who if he had been in industry would have been sacked, mean while he has retired with a bad back and a jolly fat pension