Electronic voting in the Republic of Ireland the Government of Ireland established the Independent Commission on Electronic Voting and Counting at Elections to examine the proposed system. It was dissolved in 2006. The Commission issued a series of reports reviewing the proposed system and comparing it to the existing electoral system: "The Commission can recommend the voting and counting equipment as follows: The prime issue was the lack of verifiability by the absence of an audit mechanism or verified paper trail. The former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had defended the flawed system in the Dáil, bemoaning the use of ""stupid old pencils"". The voting machines bought by the
Department of the Taoiseach Department of the Taoiseach The Department of the Taoiseach () is the government department of the Taoiseach of Ireland. It is based in Government Buildings, the headquarters of the Government of Ireland, on Merrion Street in Dublin. The Department was created in 1937, simultaneous with the new Constitution replacing the Irish Free State's 1922 Constitution. The Department replaced the Department of the President of the Executive Council, just as the office of Taoiseach replaced the office of President of the Executive Council. The civil servant who heads the Department of the Taoiseach is known as the "Secretary General of the