There is much provocation, a Cheann Comhairle.

Can the Minister for Defence name a single private company in this country, with the possible exception of AIB, that would continue to employ a manager who frittered away €52 million? Can he give any such example? Does he believe the shareholders of a company would continue with the same board of directors that frittered away €52 million? Can the Minister advance one example in that regard?

I note the Minister's female spokesperson is in the media today stating that only €42 million has been frittered away on e-voting machines, not €52 million as suggested by the Opposition. In reply to a parliamentary question tabled by Deputy Gilmore on 29 April, the Minister stated:

Some €45 million has been advanced to date by the Department of Finance to returning officers to meet expenditure in the cost of the system. The estimated cost of the equipment and software is €46.4 million, including VAT. The voter education and awareness campaign is estimated to cost €5 million, of which €1.25 million has been advanced to date. This programme will also include approximately €1 million on promoting awareness.

That is still going on.

He went on to state, "An additional 300 voting machines were ordered on 14 January 2004." That amounts to €51.4 million or €52.4 million, regardless of what the Government spokespersons says. Is the Minister aware the advertisements are still running?

Were they paid for?

Yesterday, Deputy Howlin took part in a radio programme to try to encourage awareness of electronic voting among the electorate in Wexford——

The interview was on South East Radio.

——and there was a break in the programme while it ran the advertisements. I note the advertisements are still running on E4 which ran them last night following "Friends". Are the 300 additional machines ordered on 14 January included in the €52 million? Is there an opt-out clause in the contract with Q4, the contract which provides the lads in Fianna Fáil with €5 million to encourage awareness of the system?

The Deputy's time has concluded.

I would also like clarification on the €8 million for warehousing and security. Will the Minister clarify if that €8 million will be in addition to the €52 million?

Deputy Allen made a good suggestion yesterday when he said the machines might be warehoused in Punchestown which is not being used for any other purpose. It would be a good place to store them.

Deputy Rabbitte should give way to the Minister.

If the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Cullen, was free he could act as security man at Punchestown.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government should be stored with them.

Perhaps then he would do something useful for a change.

Deputy Rabbitte is abusing Standing Orders.

The Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the Taoiseach have firmly indicated that the investment in the machines is a long-term investment covering a 20-year lifespan.

The money is being invested in Fianna Fáil.

I hope that, in time, when the commission recommendations have been dealt with, the people will be provided with the opportunity to use a modern system in terms of how they cast their votes.

Hear, hear.

The new system will bring us into line with our EU partners.

That is a new chant.

Ireland is computer literate by any international standards.

Unfortunately, there are no such people in the Cabinet.

Please allow the Minister to continue without interruption.

Everybody in this House knows, though they may choose to pretend otherwise, the machines are not purchased for a day, a week or a month. They have a long lifespan.

They were purchased for fun.

Please allow the Minister to continue without interruption.

The Opposition will have an opportunity——

The Government is like pasteurised milk.

What is its shelf life?

The Government has gone past its shelf life.

We have a longer shelf life than Fine Gael.

I will have to ask Deputies Ring and Durkan to leave the House if they continue to interrupt.

The Ceann Comhairle should ask Members of Fianna Fáil to leave the House. They are the ones who should leave the House and the Government.

Deputy Ring was going to jump ship if he got the offer.

Not I. I did not waste €52 million of taxpayers' money.

This is Leaders' Questions.

Members should resume their seats when the Chair is on its feet. This is Leaders' Questions. Deputy Rabbitte submitted a question to the Minister who should be allowed to continue without interruption. The Minister is entitled to reply and it is wrong of any member of the House to try to frustrate Deputy Rabbitte receiving a reply to his question, particularly members of a party which has submitted its own question.

The Chair should ask the Minister to speak up.

The television advertisements have been withdrawn. Deputy Rabbitte well knows that part of the advertising campaign is to encourage people to come out to vote.

And to press the button.

Surely the Opposition is not objecting to that.

The people are coming out to vote against Fianna Fáil.

The advertising is done by McConnell's Advertising, not Fianna Fáil.

We have gone from the sublime to the ridiculous.

Deputy Rabbitte has one minute remaining.

One would not get this in the Abbey Theatre.

We would have to pay for it there.

Not as much as we paid for it here — €52 million and rising.

Will the Minister reply to my questions? Are the 300 machines ordered on 14 January included in the €52 million?

Yes, as far as I am aware.

The Minister for Defence should ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if they are included.

I presume the €8 million for warehousing and security is in addition to the €52 million. Is there an opt-out clause or are we stuck with Q4 and the €5 million paid to it to encourage people, as the Minister put it, to come out and vote?

For Fianna Fáil.

Is that included? I will repeat my other question. Is the Minister aware of any private company in Ireland that would continue to employ a manager who wasted €52 million of taxpayers' money?

The Deputy's time has concluded.

On the matter raised by Deputy Kenny in terms of the crime figures in this morning's MRBI poll, how many gardaí could be employed for €52 million? How many nurses could be employed for €52 million? How many home help workers would be paid for additional hours? The Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Coughlan, was forced to row back on widows at a cost of almost €6 million, resulting in the cuts in social welfare amounting to exactly €52 million.

The Deputy's time has concluded.

However, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government can waste €52 million and no action is taken by the Cabinet.

That is not true.

The Minister should allow Deputy Rabbitte to conclude.

The Minister knows it is true.

Deputy Rabbitte is a good storyteller.

It was the Minister who was telling fairytales.

I ask Deputy Rabbitte to give way to the Minister.

Deputy Rabbitte knows well.

It is incredible that the Minister, Deputy Cullen, is still bouncing around and giving cheek after wasting such an amount of taxpayers' money. The brass neck on the Government side of the House is almost beyond belief. Deputy Allen is right. The Government should put the machines into Punchestown and put Deputy Cullen minding them.

That is what Fine Gael and the Labour Party would do. It is not what we will do. We will look after the taxpayers. Perhaps we should put Fine Gael and Labour into Punchestown.

The Minister should remain silent.

He should go for a cigarette.

I have already made it clear, and I want to do so once more without interruption, that this expenditure is not a waste.

It is.

These machines will, inevitably, be used in the future.

When?

There are issues which must be cleared up in the interim.

They do not work.

They do work, and well Deputy Burton knows it.

Deputy Burton was elected by electronic voting machines. She did not complain.

I ask Deputies on the Government side of the House to allow the Minister to reply.

They are embarrassed.

The Chair deplores the fact that the Minister was not allowed to continue the answer without interruption.

You cannot be serious, Sir.

This is a serious problem which occurs every day on Leaders' Questions.

The minute the Minister opened his mouth he was interrupted.

I appeal to Deputies on all sides of the House to show the same courtesy to the Minister or to the Taoiseach——

I agree.

——as they receive when they submit questions.

Now can I have an answer to my question?

Deputy Rabbitte has already used almost six minutes although he was entitled to three. We will move on to the next speaker.

I did not get a reply to the questions I raised.

Every time the Minister tried to answer he was interrupted.

Deputy Rabbitte has hyenas beside him who think this is a laughing matter.

The Minister, Deputy Smith, sat down after one golden minute of silence. What are the answers to the questions I raised?

There is no answer.

There is no provision for a second supplementary.

This is the ultimate in disrespect for the House.

How dare Deputy Rabbitte say that.

The Minister will not even reply. He is a great man now sitting down. He is a windbag. He should stand up and answer.

If the laughing hyenas surrounding Deputy Rabbitte had been quiet, he might have got an answer.

The Minister should give an answer.

This is a new level of political debate. This name calling is typical of the Opposition.

I ask Deputy Rabbitte to resume his seat. I have called Deputy Joe Higgins. I appeal to Members of the House to allow Deputy Higgins to submit his question without interruption and to allow the Minister to reply without interruption.

If he has a reply.

We cannot have ten or 15 Deputies roaring and shouting across the Chamber so that no one can hear the reply.