Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said seeing his image placed on top of a bonfire does not represent the majority of unionists in Northern Ireland.
Images appeared over the weekend of a picture of Mr Varadkar and an Irish flag at the top of a loyalist bonfire in the Moygashel area of Co Tyrone.
Unionist leaders have condemned the incident and the PSNI has said they are treating the incident as a hate crime.
RTÉ reported that Mr Varadkar had seen the images but did not believe it was reflective of the majority of the unionist community in Northern Ireland.
He also said the actions of a small minority would not distract the Irish Government in any way from their main priority of getting the Good Friday Agreement working again and restoring the institutions in Northern Ireland.
The Moygashel bonfire had initially attracted viral online attention for the unusual sight of a boat on top of the pyre.
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On Saturday, the appearance of Mr Varadkar’s picture and Irish tricolour was also accompanied by a banner reading: “Good Friday Agreement? That ship has sailed,” along with a mock copy of the Good Friday Agreement with the words “null and void”.
The bonfire was lit on Saturday evening following a parade and address from the loyalist activist Jamie Bryson.
After criticism of the event, he told The News Letter: “What those in Moygashel do at their bonfire is a matter for them. It was a phenomenal attendance of men, women and children, and I didn’t hear anyone complain.”
He added: “I will make this broad point – what sometimes happens is that cultural events are used for the making of a political protest.
“Burning a flag and poster of the Irish Prime Minister is not part of culture, but whether people like it or not, it is an act of political protest protected under the European Court of Human Rights.
"It may shock and offend, but that doesn’t make it unlawful.”
