Editing Dick Spring (section)

==Political legacy==
In Irish political circles, the role of foreign minister was considered a poisoned chalice because of the challenge of resolving the delicate problem of how to de-escalate tensions in Northern Ireland, when both sides were wary of Irish governmental policy. Albert Reynolds, and Dick Spring, placed Northern Ireland at the top of the government agenda. Both were helped considerably by the initiative of John Hume, and the understanding built up between Reynolds, and British Prime Minister [[John Major]]. Spring devoted considerable energy and resources towards increasing Ireland's international influence and diplomatic ties in the UN, in the post [[Cold War]] world.

As Foreign Minister, there was much critical comment in the media on Spring's extensive foreign travel. Spring got even harsher criticism, for using the Government Jet to reduce journey times between his home in Tralee and his office in Dublin. However, he did conduct, for the first time, a public consultative process that involved a wide range of citizenry and social groups as well as members of the diaspora, in the re-shaping of Irish foreign policy through the first-ever White Paper on Foreign Policy in 1996.<ref>Challenges and Opportunities Abroad - White Paper on Foreign Policy, Department of Foreign Affairs, Stationery Office, Dublin 1996 {{ISBN|0-7076-2385-5}}</ref>

Critics of Dick Spring have described him as a [[champagne socialist]], owing to his choice of the [[Waldorf Astoria Hotel]] when staying in New York as Foreign Minister, instead of staying in the then Irish-owned Fitzpatrick Hotel.<ref name=lift>{{cite news | url = http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/ogaras-lay-rift-rumours-to-rest-in-ny-1210902.html | title = O'Garas lay rift rumours to rest in NY | access-date = 18 January 2009 | date = 4 November 2007 | work = Irish Independent | archive-date = 26 November 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071126085540/http://www.independent.ie/entertainment/news-gossip/ogaras-lay-rift-rumours-to-rest-in-ny-1210902.html | url-status = live }}</ref> Spring brought the Irish Labour Party unprecedented exposure and power in government, at a time when the two significantly larger right-of-centre political blocs had precedence in every election.