Minister, I'm sure it's of small consequence to you but I am in the south of France at present, working.

I'm sure you will agree with me that there are many wonderful things about France and I have discovered another: the quality of their broadband by comparison to what you are providing in rural Ireland and, yes, I am in rural France.

Before I left I had already told our mutual friends at 3 that the satelite connection they are supplying me is worse than useless.
My complaint is not that it is slow, which it is, and not that it drops out totally from time to time, which it does, but that the connection fluctuates minute by minute: now its here, now its gone, oh here it is again oh, no its not.

Furthermore, I have discovered that despite being told that it would never happen, my local exchange, Inistioge, has now been broadband enabled.

Now this begs the question as to why you (or rather me, the taxpayer) are subsidising 3 to provide hugely expensive (but useless) broadband when what used to be the 'national provider' is, after all, facing-up to its responsibilities.

Frankly Minister I'm frustrated, pissed-off and heading fast heading towards angry.

Of one thing I'm certain. If things are bad in Ireland now, which they surely are, they will get much worse unless somebody gets round to realising that broadband is a sine qua non to our recovery.

And you are in charge, minister - just get it sorted!