It is imperative that the actions of the Garda in responding to the Gort siege are fully scrutinised. This is not to suggest any wrongdoing on its part but merely to acknowledge that public confidence in the force is best engendered by independent examination of how it carries out its functions, giving rise - where appropriate - to public validation or fair criticism.
The sequence of events in Gort, as we currently know it, is that after a 21-hour standoff at the Co Galway home of Anthony Burke (40), during which efforts were made to negotiate with him, he was wounded by a Garda sniper. Following a family dispute, Mr Burke - an experienced clay pigeon shot and holder of two licensed shotguns - had fired a number of times and ultimately approached gardaí in a threatening manner. The round that hit him was discharged by a member of the Emergency Response Unit after a failed attempt to halt his progress with a so-called "less-than-lethal" beanbag round.
On the face of it, the Garda seems to have learned from mistakes made in similar circumstances in Abbeylara in 2000; to have acted with appropriate force and with characteristic bravery. The difficulty, however, is that we are reliant on gardaí themselves for details of much of what happened. And the Garda Ombudsman Commission, the body empowered to independently examine their action, is not yet fully operational.
Against this background, defensive remarks by Minister for Justice Michael McDowell and Garda Press Officer Supt Kevin Donohoe are disconcerting. Mr McDowell described the Garda response as "proportionate" and the outcome as "unfortunate". He is entitled to express his views in this regard.
But he went on to argue that there was a tendency "in Ireland at the moment" to consider a person who threatened and fired a gun at gardaí, in such circumstances, as the victim, while the police officers who responded were viewed as perpetrators. Supt Donohoe, for his part, referred to the "armchair generals" in the media who questioned Garda actions.
The superintendent's comments should be considered in the context in which they were made: in response to a deadline-driven media scrum in the immediate aftermath of a dangerous incident. But Mr McDowell's words are more ill-advised. They present an unfair caricature of those who would question how the Garda exercises its functions.
The effect is to ridicule those - in civil liberties groups or wherever - who might raise potentially legitimate issues and is inconsistent with Mr McDowell's own record in establishing the independent offices of the Ombudsman Commission and the Garda Inspectorate.
The hallmark of a civilised society is that it is governed by rules and conventions. Adherence to these by the forces of law and order can best be guaranteed - and seen to be so - through independent scrutiny. In this context, it is crucial that the Garda Ombudsman Commission is in a position to carry out investigations as soon as possible.