The Government is investigating reports that a Russian drone was built using a part made in Ireland, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said in Kyiv.
Mr Varadkar was speaking after holding talks with President Volodymyr Zelensky on a surprise visit to Kyiv.
Asked by a Ukrainian journalist about a part from a destroyed Russian drone that was stamped with the text "Made in Ireland", Mr Varadkar said: "We are aware of that. We are investigating at the moment."
He said the Government did not believe any Irish companies had evaded sanctions, but noted that there were third parties who were finding their way around them.
"We do take it very seriously," he said.
The Shahed drone in question, made in Iran, was shot down over the southern Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv in recent days.
A component from the drone, known as a carburettor, which supplies spark-ignition engines with a mixture of fuel and air, was labelled as being made by Tillotson, an American company that operates a factory in Tralee, Co Kerry.
The factory makes small engines for garden equipment, such as lawnmowers, leaf blowers and chainsaws, raising the prospect the parts were repurposed by the manufacturers of the drone.
In a statement posted on its website yesterday, Tillotson said they take the use of their products "very seriously".
It said: "Most of our products are used in ordinary lawn and garden applications like chainsaws and weed trimmers or in recreational applications like go karts and mini bikes.
"However, although we do not design for military applications, some of the smaller engines that use our products can be adapted for that purpose and so we take extra steps to monitor that 'dual use.'
"In that regard, we work closely with the government of the Republic of Ireland and CAR to monitor and track the sale and distribution of our products."
Tillotson said its first step will be to identify if "the relevant product is genuine or a fake and, if genuine, the potential customers who may have purchased it".
Despite the "Made in Ireland" stamp, it has also not been determined whether the component was actually produced in Ireland.
A picture of the recovered drone was shared on Twitter by Andriy Yermak, head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, yesterday.
He noted that hundreds of other parts "are made in Western and Asian countries".
Former minister for foreign affairs Charlie Flanagan called it "a matter of some concern".
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Under EU sanctions imposed on Russia, there is a ban on the sale, supply or export of drone engines and electronic components, along with other items, that may contribute to Moscow's military or the development of its defence and security sector.
The list of restricted items also includes toy drones and various technologies.
A spokesperson for the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment said: "Ireland implements a robust export control policy, which includes the application of the relevant EU and international standards for export control.
"Any breach of export controls is taken very seriously and the potential use of Irish components in Iranian drones used by the Russian Federation in Ukraine is being investigated, by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.
"The department is also actively working with Conflict Armament Research, which is funded by the EU, to ensure, insofar as possible, that Irish components do not end up, either intentionally or unintentionally, in conflict zones around the world."
Additional reporting PA
