Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail)

That suggests we live in a real country.

The bad news, however, is that I agree with much of the criticism of Eircom. I have had the unfortunate and unhappy experience of dealing with Eircom since I first tried to get broadband in Drumshanbo in County Leitrim, so I could be more like those esteemed Senators from more cosmopolitan areas where broadband had already been rolled out. I decided I would take the issue in hand myself. The local exchange is 200 yards from my house and I was told by local engineers that the equipment to enable the exchange to upgrade to broadband was installed in December. One of the engineers told me that he was finished and that the only thing that was needed was another section of Eircom to test the line, which would take a month. The man said it should be in place by the end of March. The end of March passed without any broadband so I was told it would be in place at the end of April. The exchange was enabled in the middle of June, six months after the equipment had been installed.

A real problem exists in Eircom. I have checked with other people who have the same problem and until the Government accelerates its local loop unbundling policy and creates more competition, we will be driven demented by people screaming for broadband who cannot get it because of Eircom's monopoly.

This company has gone through several manifestations, none of which has benefited us.