New Taoiseach Micheál Martin yesterday ruled out an "unnecessarily divisive" border poll.
Speaking just weeks after taking up the new office, Mr Martin said he intended to approach Northern Ireland with a "genuine" desire to "nurture north/south relations".
Due to meet the north's First Minister Arlene Foster and deputy first minister, Michelle O'Neill on Thursday, Mr Martin said it is his intention to provide "honest, objective leadership in terms of the north".
In relation to the recent controversy surrounding Ms O'Neill's attendance at the funeral of republican Bobby Storey on June 30, Mr Martin said "we have to be careful of not being overly-judgmental of people's behaviour".
"I think I understand why people have a wish and a desire to attend a funeral albeit we are all subject to social distancing," he said.
"I've lost good friends whose funerals I was not in a position to attend. I fully understand the anger and frustration of people who witnessed the large turnout at that particular funeral but again as co-guarantor of the agreement, my overall perspective is to try and ensure that this doesn't damage or undermine the institutions within the north.
"The one point I would make is we have to be careful of not being overly judgmental of people's behaviour".
Speaking about his party's close relationship with the SDLP in the north, Mr Martin said he would "continue to grow that relationship" however it would not affect his role as Taoiseach as he would "play this down the middle and very honestly, in terms of my discussions and my negotiations". ".
"I think the SDLP have gone a degree of renaissance," he told the BBC's Sunday Politics programme.
"I think its performance in the Westminster election was a very telling one.
"We want to continue and strengthen that relationship and give support".
Mr Martin said his establishment of a shared-island unit within his department would help work out "how would we share the island together and what's the best way to do it without pre-conditions and without prejudice".
He said the unit would "do research in relation to that, into the practicalities of it, the nuts and bolts of how does one shared an island and live in peace and harmony".
Mr Martin said he felt that "in recent times" the north/south dimension needed "resuscitation and a bit of extra momentum".
"I think the existing north/south bodies provide us with a platform to do that.
"I am a passionate believer in the Good Friday Agreement and its implementation".
