The Taoiseach says 'divisions' must be healed in Northern Ireland before a united Ireland is considered.
The prospect of a referendum on Irish unity has been back on the agenda recently after nationalists won more seats than unionists in the recent UK general election.
However, Leo Varadkar has claimed a border poll would be premature and would be defeated.
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At least 12 people have been killed after a plane crashed into a building in Kazakhstan.
66 others are known to have survived, with 50 in hospital - with some said to have critical injuries.
The early morning flight came down just a short distance from the runway at Almaty airport.
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A 52-year-old woman who was injured in a crash in Co Galway on Christmas Eve has died.
She was hit by a car while walking along a local road near Oughterard.
The woman was taken to University Hospital Galway where she died yesterday.
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A new record has been set for the number of Irish passports issued.
Over 900,000 of them have been issued this year - including 94,000 first-time applications from people born in Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
The oldest applicant was 101, while the youngest was just 5 days old.
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Life expectancy in Ireland has increased by nearly two and a half years since 2007.
According to the Department of Health, it was just over 80 years for a woman in 2017 and 77 for a man.
Officials say much of the increase has been the result of significant reductions in major causes of death - such as circulatory system diseases and cancer.
