In his message, which he delivered earlier this afternoon, the current Taoiseach said: "We need to look after each other, as individuals and communities."

He went on to say, "Let me assure you that Ireland will remain an open and tolerant republic," before bringing attention to the homeless situation in Ireland, commenting that, "We will continue to work hard to address the ongoing problem of homelessness and issues affecting the daily lives of all our citizens."

He went on to mention the people who helped commemorate the 1916 Centenary, when Ireland took its "fledgling steps" as a nation.

Watch the full Christmas message here:

An Taoiseach @EndaKennyTD's Christmas Message pic.twitter.com/luOR6EW29e

— MerrionStreet.ie (@merrionstreet) December 23, 2016