Dail Sketch Frank McNallyThe roll-out of electronic voting may have momentarily hit the buffers, but the controversy rumbled merrily on yesterday.
Still exulting over the Government climb-down on legislation, Fine Gael insisted that only the inclusion of a paper audit trail would secure public confidence in the new technology. This would mean a dual system, combining the speed and immediacy of electronics with the reassurance of hard copy: a bit like the radio news, followed by what it says in the papers.
The Government was sceptical of the dualist philosophy, however. "Nonsensical" the Taoiseach called it, suggesting it would be like "keeping the punt and the euro". This was an unfortunate comparison, since the punt and the euro are both paper-based systems. But we knew what he meant. And to underline the point, Mr Ahern insisted the use of printers would be unreliable "in a high-volume situation".
There was a high-volume situation when Enda Kenny twice raised the €4.5 million contract for the promotion of the new system, won by a company "whose principal personality is the former Fianna Fáil general secretary". Amid loud heckling, the Taoiseach accused the opposition of being more interested in "trying to stir" things than addressing real issues. But he insisted the tender had been proper and - he implied - there was a paper trail to prove it.
A small but notable point in yesterday's exchanges was Mr Ahern's suggestion that concerns about e-voting stemmed from "experiences in the United States", and his assurance that the Irish system's reliability had been verified by an "internationally accredited testing institute in Berlin". So in this area, at least, the Government is looking to Berlin rather than Boston (or Florida, to be exact) as a role model.
Florida also featured in a suggestion by Pat Rabbitte that Governor Jeb Bush might be invited to chair the independent panel overseeing the new system. The remark came during questions on the timing of another potentially difficult roll-out - that of the red carpet for a visit by the US president - facing the Government. Mr Ahern confirmed the visit would happen in late May or, more likely, June and said details could be finalised during his own visit to the White House next month.
This was the cue for Joe Higgins to inquire whether, "when the Taoiseach arrives in Washington clutching his bowl of shamrock," he would seek an apology from the president for misleading him on Iraq. The Taoiseach riposted sarcastically that the Socialist Party's "intelligence" may have been better than that of the US and UK combined. But offering him some updated intelligence, Mr Higgins predicted the only place a Bush visit here could avoid mass protests was "on the top of Carrantuohill".
Noel Dempsey quipped that this was "another plug for Kerry tourism". Even if it was so intended, however, the invitation from the Kerry-born Higgins is unlikely to be accepted by the Taoiseach. A Carrantuohill summit might be scenic. But after this week's embarrassing climb-down, the last thing the Government wants is an embarrassing climb-up.