Hear, hear.

I have given the Taoiseach some injury time.

I note the Taoiseach's reply was devoid of any reference to the Government's failure with regard to broadband connectivity.

The Deputy must not have been listening.

I was intrigued by the Taoiseach's opening remarks, in which he referred to what the Government has been able to do "in a short period of time". It is as if he is trying to wave a magic wand so we will ignore the fact that he has been a Minister since 2011.

Seven years.

The Taoiseach and his colleagues promised that there would be broadband connectivity by 2015.

Keep the recovery going.

I remind the Taoiseach that he was a member of the Government which, contrary to its promises, destroyed the esprit de corps of the effective and successful Leader programme.

Hear, hear.

Fine Gael politicians wanted to take it away from the community and give themselves some credit.

That is not true.

That is exactly what happened.

That is totally wrong.

That is what happened. It went from €400 million to €250 million. It was snarled in bureaucracy because individual Deputies and Ministers wanted the credit. They did not like non-politicians in community-led groups developing through the Leader programme.

Wrong.

Big Phil again.

I say very calmly that we are now in 2018 and we have spent just €13 million of the €250 million budget that was provided for a programme that lasts from 2014 to 2020.

It is disgraceful.

By any yardstick, we are failing to deliver on something that could have a very real impact in parishes throughout the country.

I call the Taoiseach for his final response.

I have travelled the length and breadth of the country from Moville to Kanturk. I have met people involved in very good industries. Those who advocate for rural Ireland do not talk it down. Most of them are self-reliant. They want the best for their towns, villages and rural areas. They do not like being talked down to by the Taoiseach. They do not like lecturing from a Dublin-centric Government.

The Taoiseach to respond.

They would like genuine delivery on existing projects.

The old-fashioned way.

It is important to point out that, as the public knows, there is a huge gap between the promises and commitments and the actual delivery of them on the ground.

The Taoiseach to respond.

I ask the Taoiseach to address-----

You have exceeded your time by a minute.

When does he think people can expect connectivity with broadband?

The Taoiseach to respond. You have got the question.

When will the Leader programme be changed-----

The Taoiseach to respond, please

-----so that we can get a much more effective programme on the ground in rural Ireland?

The Minister, Deputy Ring, will make a statement on Leader in due course.

No, I want the Taoiseach to speak on it.

I will pick up on the other points mentioned by the Deputy.

I have asked the Taoiseach to speak on Leader.

Deputy, please.

I have answered the Deputy's question about what has already been spent.

The Taoiseach has not answered it.

The Taoiseach, without interruption.

This is unprecedented.

I mentioned that 230 measures have been taken to speed up the funding. I am not one to come into this House and-----

Give answers.

-----deliver history lessons. I remind Deputy Martin, who sought to remind me that my colleagues and I have been in government for seven years, that in our first years in government, we had to restore this country's economic sovereignty and put us back into a place where we could build a future for Ireland again.

Hear, hear.

The Taoiseach should answer the question.

As I have already mentioned, unemployment is falling in every county and employment is increasing in every county.

Some 80% of new jobs are being created outside the greater Dublin area.

The Taoiseach should stop lying.

The biggest single transport investment in the past two years was the Gort to Tuam motorway, costing €550 million. The biggest single transport investment in the past two years was in the west of Ireland, helping us to connect Galway and Limerick and we will connect Limerick to Cork in due course. The Deputies will know about the investment in projects such as greenways around the country and the Wild Atlantic Way. I also meet the people the Deputies meet around the country and they do not talk down their communities. It is politicians on the other side of the House who talk down their communities and counties.

That is outrageous.

If we raise an issue, now we are talking down.

I greatly regret that they do so.