Former taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said a vote on Irish reunification could be held on the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
The agreement established a series of institutions for political cooperation across Ireland.
Mr Ahern, who helped negotiate it in 1998 at the end of the Troubles, said more use should be made of its institutions.
He told the Italian newspaper, La Repubblica, that a united Ireland is achievable.
He said: "Yes, I do. It can be done in the long term.
"The vote should be the end of next decade, maybe on the 30th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
"The only way it can happen is if the nationalist people, the Republican people and all the people in the South and the Republican Ireland can convince our unionist friends that this is the best thing for the whole island."
