Deputy Hoctor and many other Fianna Fáil backbenchers agree with me, including the 40—

That does not arise in regard to this question and the Deputy's time has concluded. He is entitled to one minute and he has now taken more.

The Ceann Comhairle is excessively sensitive when it comes to my addressing Fianna Fáil backbenchers. I wish to refer to the fact that 40 Fianna Fáil backbenchers have signed a motion to stop the cuts in community employment after the cuts have been implemented.

The Deputy's time has concluded and I ask him to give way to the Taoiseach.

That is the kind of thing which Fianna Fáil members are good at when they go back to their constituencies.

It is not appropriate for the Deputy to move on to another question. He may raise one topic under Leaders' Questions, not two.

The one topic is this. Some €58 million in cuts—

The Deputy's time has concluded. He has had almost three minutes.

The Ceann Comhairle heckled me for about two minutes.

Injury time.

Allow the Taoiseach to reply.

Does the Taoiseach agree with the Minister for Finance that the cuts of €58 million will not be reversed and does he agree with the Tánaiste who on Sunday night said that their purpose was to disincentivise certain things?

Sorry, Deputy, the Taoiseach must reply.

Is that now the philosophy which dominates the Government led by this most left of centre of all Taoisigh?

I am glad the Deputy has made those points, with which I agree—

I have many points.

If every time I stand up, the Deputy gives me two seconds to reply, there is not much point in my trying to answer. I will answer if the Deputy wants to listen. The Deputy can listen to an answer or he can heckle but we can play it that way on this side of the House too.

The Deputy said there was not much point in my giving individual figures. However, the point I made was that, even though we have reduced unemployment by about 7% and long-term unemployment by about 10%, the social welfare budget year on year, including this year, has increased by a massive amount. This year, some 970,000 people make up those figures.

Deputy Rabbitte's point in regard to global figures not being a good idea is a fair one. Therefore we will look at individual ones. The average rise in the lowest social welfare rates under the rainbow coalition was €2.74 compared with €6.69 under this Government.

My God.

The rainbow coalition implemented a meagre pension increase of €2.29.

How many years ago was that?

When we look at the individual figures, we can see just how meagre the increases were.

Why does the Taoiseach want to insult the poor like this?

Why does the Taoiseach not refer back to the war – to 1944?

The Deputy party was in power then too and it took a shilling off the pension. It will still try to do so any time it gets the chance.

Deputy Smith got the skull.

Deputy Ring, this is Leaders' Questions. You are not the leader of the Labour Party.

On the community employment schemes, the Tánaiste has already stated there will be 25,000 participants and more than €380 million provided this year, which is an enormous figure.

That is incorrect.

Some 20,000 plus in the categories are included in it.

That involves two schemes.