Madam, - It is with much sympathy that I read Paul McCarthy's letter ("Provision of Broadband" - June 20th).
It seems that the response from the Minister for Communications, Noel Dempsey, not only lacks imagination, but also knowledge of what the Republic's nearest neighbour has done.
The UK operates a telecommunications environment of "private-sector companies operating in a fully liberalised market", and yet in Northern Ireland there is now 100 per cent broadband availability. The reason? The British government paid British Telecom, a private company, to do what would have otherwise been uneconomical.
Is it really beyond the imaginations of our highly paid ministers to actually tender those private-sector companies for the work necessary? We already pay private companies to build our road infrastructure - in the 21st century, why is it not possible to do the same for our increasingly important communications infrastructure?
While our ministers maintain this no-can-do attitude, progress on broadband availability in the Republic will continue to lag other countries.
A little initiative, minister, please. - Yours, etc,
COLIN R. COOPER, Wimbledon, London