Seven tenders have been received by the Department of the Environment for the purchase of its decommissioned e-voting machines or for their recovery as waste.
Prior to the 4,762 machines going up for tender, Minister for Finance Michael Noonan speculated that there could be a market for the machines in Irish-themed pubs across the world.
Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan confirmed that the storage cost for the machines over the past four years was €671,370.
The identity of the seven tenderers is not yet known.
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Mr Hogan said the process “to agree a contract with a preferred tenderer is expected to be completed shortly”.