The Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, has said it "really annoys" him when he hears the Abbeylara incident described as a scandal.
"Abbeylara was a tragedy. Unfortunately it happened . . . but it is not to be termed as a scandal," he said.
The commissioner said he stood by the members of the Garda "who carried out their duty, a terrible difficult duty on that particular day". John Carthy was shot dead by members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit in April 2000 following a 25-hour siege at his home in Abbeylara, Co Longford.
What occurred would now be investigated by a tribunal and he welcomed that, he said.
Turning to the many allegations made against gardaí in Co Donegal, he told the Inside Story programme on Today FM yesterday that the opening statement of the Morris tribunal, which is investigating these issues, "made for sorry reading".
He stressed the allegations were only against certain members of the force. "My heart goes out at times to all the members of the Garda Síochána against whom no allegations were made and are tarred with the same brush which I think is very, very unfair."
He welcomed the Morris tribunal because he said persons called before it did not have a right to silence or to withhold information from it. "There is no hiding place there."
He said the tribunal had the authority to call anybody before it, including him, but he felt everything he could offer had been discovered to it.
Mr Byrne said he believed one of the reasons crime figures were increasing was because the Garda had become more adept at recording crime. Certain crimes such as those of a sexual nature were also more likely to be reported nowadays. Alcohol abuse was also a factor.
He agreed the Garda should not investigate itself, but he preferred the idea of a police inspectorate, promised by Minister for Justice, to a police ombudsman.
He would be concerned about a clash of personalities similar to what occurred in Northern Ireland if an ombudsman were appointed, whereas he felt an inspectorate of several persons would be a step back with the same powers.
Mr Byrne's seven-year term as Commissioner expires in July.