Irish premier Simon Harris has said it is “entirely possible” that there will be a united Ireland in his lifetime.
The Taoiseach made the comments during an interview with Sky News on Sunday, during which he was asked about migration, US president-elect Donald Trump and the risk of another economic crash.
Mr Harris has said previously that Irish unity is not a priority for his premiership and has called the peace on the island of Ireland “frosty”.
Asked whether he thought he would see a united Ireland in his lifetime, he told Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “It’s entirely possible to see it in my lifetime, but I’m not yet ready to put deadlines on these things because I think when you do, I think you drive people further away rather than closer together.”
In September, former taoiseach and ex Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar urged parties contesting the election to make unification an “objective” rather than just an aspiration.
There is much work to do, but you unite people not by arbitrary dates or deadlines for polls, you unite people by winning hearts and minds
Mr Varadkar also suggested a two-stage vote on Irish unity – an initial vote where people on both sides of the border would decide whether they agree “in principle” with constitutional change, and then a final “confirmatory” ballot once the structures and constitution of the new political entity were designed and presented to the public.
Mr Harris, who took over as Taoiseach after Mr Varadkar resigned in the spring, said on Sunday it is his and his party’s aspiration for there to be a united Ireland.
“But I also want to be honest with the people of Ireland, and indeed with the people of the UK. My priority right now is working to fulfil and harness the potential of the Good Friday Agreement, which has seen too much of a stop and a start.
“We now have the institutions back up and running in Northern Ireland, we have an interlocutor in Downing Street in Prime Minister Starmer and, I would believe an interlocutor in Government Buildings in Dublin, all three wanting to work together to make sure that not just the peace part of the Good Friday Agreement – vital as it is – is secured, but also the prosperity agenda.”
He said that he and Sir Keir Starmer had worked “intensively” to reset Anglo-Irish relations and an annual Irish-UK summit has been organised where ministers will agree a programme of joint interests.
Mr Harris also said he was committed to keeping the Shared Island Unit within the Department of the Taoiseach.
“There is much work to do, but you unite people not by arbitrary dates or deadlines for polls, you unite people by winning hearts and minds.”
Campaigning efforts across 43 constituencies are ramping up ahead of polling day on Friday November 29.
A poll by the Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks shows Fine Gael is down four points to 22%, Sinn Fein up two points to 20%, and Fianna Fail holding steady on 20%.
Aontu is up two points to 5%, the Social Democrats are down one to 5%, Labour no change on 4%, Greens down one to 3%, Solidarity-PBP no change on 2%, and Independents or other parties up three points to 19%.
