Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The model we had then was to identify up to 200 actions per year right across the spectrum of Government. Each action was timelined. During the course of the year, the then Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation then reported on the progress of those targets to the Cabinet committee, chaired by the Taoiseach. We published, in each quarter, the extent to which actions had or had not failed. The Americans say it is important to be able to bite with the President's teeth. The fact that the Taoiseach will be holding a Secretary General to account for failing to deliver in certain areas where commitments had been made is an important element of delivery and shifting the agenda.

It was not a static plan. There were some actions that stretched across five or ten years but there was a review each year to see which were working and which were not working so well, to establish why some things had failed and others were successful. There was a consultative element in its evolution. Similarly, the various climate consultations that are occurring at regional level are an important way not only to buy in support for the initiative but also to get feedback on what is possible and viable and what is being overlooked.