Dorgan told TDs and senators that, in terms of business access to broadband, the Republic ranks very well. That may be so, but the issue doesn't end there. Our nominal US executive, Brad Sandford, arrives in Dublin to take up his new job with the multinational technology company, Compuglobal Made Eazy. com. Brad is quite happy with his office broadband availability, but is more than a little shocked to find that his des res down in Cowney Wickloo has more of an information dirt track than an information superhighway.

What's more, half of the staff in the company's European headquarters . . .at least for tax purposes . . . also have difficulty in getting access to broadband at home.

Suddenly Ireland doesn't look such quite such a cutting-edge place to be.