There’s better broadband in the back-end of Crete between the mountains on the Libyan Sea than there is 56km outside of Dublin, according to UCD lecturer Ann Sheridan.

Speaking on Newstalk recently, she said that if she moved to Crete she’d have better access to broadband compared to where she lives in Calverstown, Co. Kildare.

Not having broadband is a bit like not having electricity or only having it intermittently, the UCD lecturer said.

She said that earlier this year, cows going through a broken fence as a result of the storms during the winter saw the broadband in one part of Co. Kildare disconnected for over a week.

The cows had gone into another field and managed to knock over the transformer and she said that she couldn’t believe it, that it was just so stereotypically Irish.

Also speaking on Newstalk was Patrick Donnelly, a farmer and builder from Calverstown who lived in the US for a number of years and had better broadband speeds 20 years ago than he does now.

“I left the States in 2001, which is a little over 14 years ago and back then we probably had internet for four to five years and it was high-speed.

“So if you add the 14 years plus the four or five years you’re looking at close to 20 years when we first had broadband and it was high-speed.

“Currently, I think I’m on my fourth provider. There’s all these little start-ups and generally they’re not too bad when you sign up originally.”

However, he said that as they gather more customers the speed seems to get slower and slower. Then if you go on at a busy time, weekends, nigh-time whatever, the service is very poor, he said.

I farm as well and you’re constantly on the Department of Agriculture website. I’ve gotten on [the website] on occasion and trying to register calves, new births and halfway through it you lose connection.

“Now, if that’s in working hours, sometimes you lose your connection, you’re trying to log back on and it’s impossible. So [you] could end up later that evening [trying to get onto the website] and if you try three or four times your password is null and void – it’s non-active.

“So now you have to call the Department in person and they have to get that password up and operating again. But you can’t do it until the next day during working hours.

“Like a lot of farmers if it’s a wet day or a bad day, everyone will try and do it at the same time – so now you can’t get through to the Department’s head office.

“Time elapses and you’re just sitting there wasting time.”

He said that when you turn on your lightswitch you expect your light to come on and also when you turn on your internet you expect it to be connected.

“It’s not a luxury any more, this is a necessity. We’re 20 years behind now it’s time we caught up.”