Editing Dick Spring (section)

==="Spring Tide" and return to power===
[[File:Photograph of President William J. Clinton and Irish Deputy Prime Minister Dick Spring in the Office of Anthony "Tony" Lake at the White House, 11-16-1993 (6175659439).jpg|thumb|right|Spring with US President [[Bill Clinton]] in 1993]]
[[File:John Bruton and John Major with Dick Spring.png|thumb|right|Spring with UK Prime Minister [[John Major]] and Taoiseach [[John Bruton]] in 1996]]
In the [[1992 Irish general election|1992 general election]] the party increased its number of Dáil seats from 15 to 33, its largest number of seats to that point, an achievement dubbed the "Spring Tide". After the election, no government was formed when the [[27th Dáil]] met. After some weeks of stalemate, Spring entered negotiations with [[Albert Reynolds]]—who had taken over as [[Taoiseach]] from Haughey in February 1992—over the Christmas period on a new programme for government. This was approved by a special party conference of over 1,000 delegates at Dublin's [[National Concert Hall]] in January 1993, though there were some Labour Party TDs who dissented from the leadership position and wanted a coalition with Fine Gael. The Labour Party entered a coalition government with Fianna Fáil and thus returned Reynolds to power. Spring was appointed Tánaiste for the second time, and also as [[Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade|Minister for Foreign Affairs]].

Labour took six of the fifteen cabinet ministries and had much of its election manifesto accepted by Fianna Fáil. Labour ministers led the new [[Minister for Labour (Ireland)|Departments of Equality and Law Reform]] and the reformed of [[Department of Children, Disability and Equality|Arts and Culture]]. Ethics legislation was to outlaw conflicts of interest. Male homosexual acts [[LGBT rights in the Republic of Ireland|were to be decriminalised]]. [[Contraception in the Republic of Ireland|Purchase of condoms]] without medical prescription was to be allowed. An extensive programme of family law reform and provision for a divorce referendum was to be undertaken. Spring insisted on a formalised system of programme managers, and state-paid advisers to push the new government's policy platform.

However support for the Labour Party declined, particularly as many voters felt betrayed by Labour for going into government with Fianna Fáil.{{citation needed|date=January 2013}} In June 1994, the Labour Party performed disastrously in by-elections in [[1994 Dublin South-Central by-election|Dublin South-Central]] and in [[1994 Cork North-Central by-election|Cork North-Central]]. In both cases, the seats were won by [[Democratic Left (Ireland)|Democratic Left]]. This had grave implications for the electoral health of the party and therefore for the policy of the Labour leadership.

In late 1994, Reynolds wished to appoint the [[Attorney General of Ireland|Attorney General]], [[Harry Whelehan]], as President of the [[High Court (Ireland)|High Court]], but delayed for over a month. Spring had reservations about Whelehan being suitable, owing to the alleged laxity of his handling of a particular child abuse criminal case, involving a disgraced Catholic priest. Reynolds for his part could not understand why Spring was against Whelehan being nominated to the High Court, and yet had no concerns with Whelehan serving as Attorney General. Reynolds became annoyed with Spring's stance, and his failure to communicate his reservations, and decided to proceed anyway, whilst calling Spring's bluff. Spring and the other Labour ministers withdrew from the cabinet meeting which proceeded to recommend Whelehan's appointment to the President. Immediately afterwards, Reynolds implemented the decision.

There followed a rather heated discussion in the Dáil, concerning the appointment. Fine Gael asked questions about Whelehan's suitability and objectivity. This was supportive of Spring's position. Democratic Left TD [[Pat Rabbitte]] then implied that the Catholic hierarchy was instructing Reynolds to appoint Whelehan. Reynolds became irate with this allegation and responded angrily. Reynolds now realised that Spring was uncompromising about Whelehan. To remain in government, Reynolds removed Whelehan; however, Spring refused to go back into government with Reynolds. Whelehan served as President of the High Court for one day.

Spring proceeded to withdraw from the government. The minority Reynolds government then lost a vote of confidence in the Dáil. Reynolds resigned as party leader but continued as a caretaker Taoiseach. Spring entered into negotiations with Reynolds' successor as party, [[Bertie Ahern]], the [[Minister for Finance (Ireland)|Minister for Finance]]. In early December, they agreed to reform the Fianna Fáil–Labour Government. On the eve of that government being formed, ''[[The Irish Times]]'' published a report that Ahern knew more about an aspect of the scandal that had brought down Reynolds than had previously been known. Spring broke off negotiations with Fianna Fáil, and instead pursued negotiations to form a coalition with Fine Gael and Democratic Left. In December 1994, Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left formed a coalition government, referred to as the [[24th government of Ireland|Rainbow Coalition]], forestalling the possibility of an election. Spring returned to his positions as Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs. This was the first occasion on which a new Irish government was formed without a general election. The previous Fianna Fáil and Labour Programme for Government was substantially adopted by the new government and in return for making [[John Bruton]] the Taoiseach, [[Ruairi Quinn]] of Labour became the first-ever Labour Minister for Finance.

During his period as Foreign Minister, Spring played a role in the [[Northern Ireland peace process]], and along with Reynolds was involved in negotiations leading to the [[Provisional Irish Republican Army]] and [[Ulster loyalism|loyalist]] ceasefires of 1994. With Reynolds, he received warm applause in the Dáil on the announcement of the [[Downing Street Declaration]] in December 1993. He also advanced Ireland's membership of the [[Partnership for Peace]], a sister organization of [[NATO]], a controversial issue due to Ireland's policy of [[Neutral country|neutrality]].