A border poll would probably be defeated if held now, Leo Varadkar has said.
The Taoiseach said that if it was held and lost, it would leave a wake of division in the north and calls for reunification would likely fall off the agenda for years, citing examples in republican Australia and Quebec in Canada.
"I don't think it'd be a good idea, certainly not at this point in time," he said, despite stating that he would like to see a united Ireland.
"I think the difficulty with the border poll is it would certainly be divisive in Northern Ireland, but it would also probably be defeated in Northern Ireland.
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"If you look at what the Good Friday Agreement says, it makes provision for a border poll, makes provision for a referendum on unification, but it says in the Good Friday Agreement that it should only happen when there's actually a stage (when) Northern Ireland has formed the opinion that it might pass."
He added: "The biggest difficulty of a referendum, or a border poll that would be unsuccessful, would be that it would probably take the issue off the agenda for a long period of time."
Sinn Féin vice president Michelle O'Neill challenged Mr Varadkar's comments, saying he needed to take responsibility in terms of planning for constitutional change in Ireland.
"I think the Taoiseach should roll up his sleeves and get to work around the preparation and planning for constitutional change," she told reporters at Stormont.
"Let's have a really healthy, informed debate around what the future could look like, how it could be better for everybody who shares this island.
"I would encourage the Taoiseach to actually take a role of responsibility in terms of planning for constitutional change - have the Citizens' Assembly, let's talk about the health service in the event of constitutional change, let's talk about what education looks like, what the economy looks like, the benefits that it could bring. I think that's where his energies should be better placed."
