THE Tanaiste, Dick Spring, has displayed the physical and mental stamina of two men in what has been, arguably, the most successful fortnight of his ministry.
He kept the prospect of an IRA ceasefire alive when he secured an "over arching role" for Senator George Mitchell as chairman of the plenary session of the Northern talks in lengthy and tortuous negotiations in London 10 days ago.
Wearing his EU cap as Minister for Foreign Affairs, he visited Denmark and Luxembourg to attend important bilateral and troika meetings in advance of Ireland assuming the EU presidency on July 1st.
He then conducted the most critical negotiations with the Northern Secretary, Sir Patrick Mayhew, and the Ulster Unionist Party leader, Mr David Trimble, to win acceptance of Senator Mitchell's chairmanship of the talks.
If he had not been successful, the long awaited, historic all party talks would have collapsed on their second day.
Weaving in and out of the Anglo Irish crisis points, he also accompanied President Robinson on her two most important State visits, to London and Washington.
With the demands of Dick Spring's diary, it is hardly any wonder that the question being raised is can he bear the burden of his two key responsibilities in the next six months head of the Government's delegation at the Northern talks and presiding foreign minister for the Irish Presidency?
Dick Spring's week went as follows:
Sunday, June 9th: Mr Spring flew from Tralee to Belfast in the Air Corps Beechcraft around lunchtime for an introductory meeting with Senator Mitchell and Mr Mayhew at 2 p.m. They were making final arrangements for the opening of all party talks on Monday. He left Belfast at 4 p.m. and flew back to Kerry.
He left home again by state car to be present in the funeral parlour for the removal of Det Garda Jerry McCabe in Limerick that evening. He returned home to link up with the official party travelling to Luxembourg for the final general affairs council of the Italian presidency. They left Shannon airport at 9.15 p.m. in the second jet leased by the Government for the duration of the presidency, arriving in Luxembourg shortly after midnight.
Monday, June 10th: Dick Spring rose at 7 a.m. He had a one hour bilateral meeting with Mr Karl Bilt, the former Swedish prime minister who is EU envoy to the former Yugoslavia, at 7.45 a.m. He then had a bilateral meeting with the Latvian foreign minister.
As part of the troika, he attended the general affairs council meeting, the last meeting of foreign ministers before Ireland assumes the presidency on July 1st. He left the meeting at 11.45 a.m. to fly to Belfast.
He was taken by helicopter to Stormont Buildings for the first day of the all party talks.
He left Belfast at 9 p.m., flew back to Dublin for 10 p.m., arriving three hours late for a party political meeting with his Labour ministers in Iveagh House. He got to bed at 1 a.m.
Tuesday, June 11th: Dick Spring got up at 5 a.m. to pack his bags for the United States, to accompany President Robinson on her official visit, and to return to Stormont. He departed from Baldonnel airport at 7 a.m. in the Government jet, arriving in Stormont for a meeting with the Minister for Social Welfare, Mr De Rossa, and officials at 8 a.m.
His intention, at that stage, was to meet his wife, Kristi at Shannon around lunchtime to catch the Aer Lingus flight to New York. She had to fly out on her own.
The talks were at such a critical stage that if he left, they would collapse. The talks ebbed and flowed all day.
Some 12 hours later, at 12.30 a.m., there was a breakthrough. This followed a private meeting between the four Irish ministers present, Mr Spring, Mr De Rossa, Mrs Owen and Mr Taylor, and Mr Trimble and his colleagues. Senator Mitchell could assume the chair.
Mr Spring left Stormont for Aldergrove airport after 1 a.m., arriving back in Dublin at 3.30 a.m.
Wednesday, June 12th: Dick Spring got up at 7 a.m. He got organised for America and did an interview on RTE's Morning Ireland at 8.15 am. He departed by Government jet shortly afterwards, arriving in Washington at 3 p.m. local time, to accompany President Robinson.
He took his first night off and celebrated his wedding anniversary.
Thursday, June 13th: The programme for President Robinson's State visit began at 10 a.m. with an official welcoming ceremony. It included a meeting in the White House with President Clinton, a luncheon hosted by Vice President Gore, a meeting with the Committee on International Relations and a State dinner hosted by the Clintons.
Friday, June 14th: Dick Spring rose after 7 a.m. to accompany the President to a breakfast meeting with Mr Gingrich on Capitol Hill. The programme included a luncheon hosted by Chief Justice Rehnquist, a visit to Arlington cemetery and a dinner hosted by the Irish Ambassador, Mr Gallagher, at his residence.
Today: Dick Spring is due back in Shannon at midday. He holds a clinic at 2.30 p.m. He will play in the captain's prize at Tralee golf club tomorrow before leaving for Rome to attend an Intergovernmental Conference (IGC) meeting.
THAT gruelling schedule of the past week is by no means exceptional, according to Mr Spring's aides. Of the 61 nights in June and July, he will spend 34 abroad because of the imminent Irish presidency.
The Fianna Fail contention, made in recent months, that Cabinet responsibilities should be reorganised because of the enormity of the work schedule in Europe and Northern Ireland fell on deaf ears.
Though there is substance in the Fianna Fail argument, Dick Spring will do the two jobs. And it would be foolhardly for him, or the Government, to decide otherwise now.
Dick Spring has had day today stewardship of the emerging peace process for almost tour years. With the Taoiseach, he has engaged in the minutiae of the preparations for the EU presidency.
With Senator Mitchell in the chair for the Northern talks, he calculates that the Irish Government's role will be different in this period of the negotiations. He will be head of the Irish delegation to the talks rather than cochairman of the whole process. He has appointed Mervyn Taylor, Minister for Equality and Law Reform, to head the team in his absence.
He has, and will, pay a price for wearing the green jersey. He has received little appreciation for his frenetic activity. His party, and himself, have lost in the opinion polls.
As Northern Minister, any achievement is usually signed off with a telephone call from John Major to John Bruton, frequently when the job is already done.
As Foreign Minister, he receives most attention for his reliance on the Government's jets, which are merely the tools of his trade. Little thought is ever given to the cost to his personal life or his health.
The European presidency brings international prestige to Ireland but votes will be lost for any mishandling of the peace process.
One conclusion is certain about the six months ahead for Dick Spring. He will have little time to rebuild the Labour Party for next year's general election.
