The Government expects the President of Ukraine to honour his pledge that force will not be used against peaceful demonstrators in the impasse over the eastern European country's election outcome, the Dáil was told.
The Minister of State, Mr Conor Lenihan, added: "It is our view that, given the scale of the irregularities identified, a simple recount of the vote would not serve any purpose."
The Government hoped the impasse over the presidential election would be resolved without violence, and "in a matter which is acceptable to the people of Ukraine, and which reflects democratic values".
The Minister was responding to Mr Simon Coveney (FG, Cork South Central) who called for the Government to give an "unambiguous and clear" statement that "we do not recognise or accept the results of the election until all concerns about electoral fraud are addressed, and we have either an acceptable recount or a re-election".
Mr Coveney, who is also an MEP, pointed to the decision by the Ukrainian Supreme Court to ban publication of the election results which officials said handed victory to the current Prime Minister, Mr Viktor Yanukovich.
Hundreds of thousands of demonstrators have maintained a protest in Kiev against the results of Sunday's presidential election, which the challenger, Mr Viktor Yushchenko, has called illegal.
Speaking for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Dermot Ahern, Mr Lenihan said Mr Ahern had earlier yesterday urged the Ukrainian authorities and opposition leaders to seek such an acceptable political solution. On Wednesday Mr Ahern's concerns were conveyed to the Ukrainian ambassador to Ireland, Mr Yevhen Perelygin.
Mr Lenihan added that, like the EU, Ireland did not believe the results announced by Ukraine's Central Election Commission reflected the will of the Ukrainian people.
He said the State subscribed to the findings of the OSCE monitoring mission to Ukraine that the two rounds of elections failed to meet international standards.
