DUP politician Jeffrey Donaldson has said he is "fearful" of what may happen if action is not taken to address the concerns of unionists in Northern Ireland.
The Lagan Valley MP told RTÉ's This Week that his party "understands the anger among loyalist communities", but added that "the way to resolve it is through political process, not throwing petrol bombs or stones at police Land Rovers".
On Friday night, 14 PSNI officers were injured in a 12th consecutive night of violence on the streets in Northern Ireland.
Mr Donaldson said: "I think the Irish Government needs to recognise that we need to see an end to the lectures [that unionists] are just going to have to suck it up in terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol.
"There is a real danger that, if action is not taken to address the concerns raised, that the political institutions will be destabilised to the point where I would be very fearful about what would happen.
"When people see their politicians ignored they feel, wrongly in my opinion, that the way to have their voice heard is to go onto the streets. We want to prevent that.
"Unionists now see the Good Friday Agreement being used against them, people feel they are being stripped of their identity when the agreement said it should be protected.
"They feel their Britishness is being diminished when the agreement said it should be respected."
Mr Donaldson said this is why the recent violence was about "much more than deprivation".
"While middle class unionists may not be on the streets rioting, there is deep anger right across the community and it should not be ignored."
Read more: Northern Ireland's peace walls become focal point for violence
Mr Donaldson urged British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to become involved.
He said: "I believe there is a political crisis and that requires political engagement from the prime minister.
"He needs to recognise that part of the problem is that unionists in Northern Ireland feel betrayed, they feel let down, they feel that they have had something imposed upon them that runs contrary to the principles of consent at the heart of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.
"I want the political institutions to work but politics has to be seen to be delivering, unionist leaders have to be able to reassure their communities that politics can deliver, that the politics of the street is not the answer
"There is a responsibility on all of us to redouble our efforts to find political solutions."
Young people 'taught to hate' - McAleese
Young people in Northern Ireland are still being "taught to hate", former Irish president Mary McAleese said.
Reflecting on recent violence, she said: "It's very familiar territory. Regrettably, it arises because they're in a vacuum, and there is undoubtedly a vacuum of the leadership.
Speaking on The Andrew Marr Show on the BBC, Ms McAleese said: "There is bound to be the consequences of Brexit, which, if we go back to Brexit, we realise how little consideration was given in the planning of Brexit and the referendum, of the impact that would have in Northern Ireland. There's all of that.
"You're also dealing with young people, regrettably, who are still being taught to hate and who are bringing that hatred and expressing it out on the streets.
"They are 13 and 14 years of age. What experience do they have of life?"
Meanwhile, the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People has said she believes organised criminals have exploited children and young people, coercing them to take part in recent street violence.
Commissioner Koulla Yiasouma said it was clear that adults had encouraged youngsters to throw petrol bombs and other projectiles at police during disturbances in Belfast, Derry, Carrickfergus and other places.
Ms Yiasouma told the BBC that the situation had got out of control.
