The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan T.D. has announced that a contract has been awarded for the disposal of the electronic voting equipment.

A contract, worth €70,267, was today signed with KMK Metals Recycling Ltd., who are based in Tullamore County Offaly.

Minister Hogan said: "I am glad to bring this sorry episode to a conclusion on behalf of the taxpayer. From the outset, this project was ill-conceived and poorly delivered by my political predecessors and as a result it has cost the taxpayer €55 million. While this is a scandalous waste of public money, I am happy to say that we will not incur any further costs in the disposal of the machines. KMK Metals Recycling Ltd will pay €70,267 for all of the equipment. Removal of the equipment from the present storage locations and transportation to the recovery facility by the contractor will commence in the coming week and will be completed by September. The storage costs of the machines were €140,000 per year for the past 3-years, and from next year we will not incur those costs any longer."

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KMK Metals Recycling Ltd was the preferred bidder amongst the seven tenders submitted in response to a Request for Tenders published on 19 January 2012. Proposals were sought for either the purchase of the evoting equipment or for its recovery as waste, consistent with environmental and other obligations. No proposals were received for the purchase of the machines for reuse as an electronic voting system. The Request for Tenders provided for the contract to be awarded on the basis of the most economically advantageous outcome and KMK Metals Recycling Ltd. quoted the most cost beneficial price for the recovery of all of the equipment. Taking account of the residual value of components contained within the electronic voting system and the potential to reuse some of the supporting items of equipment, the contract provides for a payment of €70,267 to be made to the State.

(CD/GK)