Broadband service - Dedicated minister is required

AS an urgent priority, Noel O’Flynn, the chairman of the Oireachtas Communications Committee, is quite right when he asserts that this country needs an individual minister with special responsibility for the national provision of the broadband service.

The current level of service availability throughout the country is completely inadequate, with Ireland lagging embarrassingly behind other OECD countries, and no sign the situation is about to improve.

The fact that Ireland needs a minister dedicated to broadband provision will be spelt out to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern later this month by the committee, so that broadband will be rolled out effectively and practically.