The Taoiseach has apologised to the family of John Carthy following the Barr tribunal's condemnation of the handling of the siege that resulted in his death. The Garda issued a statement today describing Mr Carthy's death as "regrettable".
Mr Carthy (27) was shot dead by two members of the Garda Emergency Response Unit following a 25-hour siege in Abbeylara, Co Longford, six years ago.
Mr Justice Robert Barr said in his 744-page report that the shooting was avoidable, and he was sharply critical of three senior gardaí.
Speaking today, Mr Ahern expressed his sympathies to the Carthy family, adding that lessons must be learned from the report and the Government would consider it carefully. Minister for Justice Michael McDowell apologised publicly yesterday.
"I'd add my words to what the Minister for Justice has said and apologise to the Carthy family," Mr Ahern said.
"We all understand the difficult job the gardaí have to do at times, but this is a very important report. I want to thank Justice Barr for producing the report and for all the work that went into it.
"We will obviously study that report carefully and, as we would always do, learn lessons from the report. He made many important points about professionals being consulted, and we'll have to look at all of these issues and how we can implement them."
The Garda Commissioner said this afternoon he regrets the death of Mr Carthy.
A statement issued on behalf of Commissioner Noel Conroy said the the outcome of the siege at Abbeylara "is very much regretted".
It said the force has noted what Mr Justice Barr described as "deficiencies" in the Garda operation. It pledged to examine the report's findings and take appropriate action. Many of the recommendations have already been implemented, the statement said.
Mr Justice Barr called for an overhaul of Garda command structures, the introduction of non-lethal weapons and training for garda officers in dealing with people suffering from mental illnesses in his report. He also found scene commanders, Supt Joe Shelly and Supt Michael Byrne, and to a lesser extent, ERU tactical commander Det Sgt Gerry Russell were ultimately responsible for Mr Carthy's death.
"An Garda Siochana, as a modern police service, is continually evolving. International best practise and securing optimum equipment & training are ongoing features," the Garda statement added.
"Debriefings following critical incidents are the norm and information gleaned from these debriefing sessions feed into the strategic plans of the organisation, which ultimately bring about positive and progressive changes in the manner in which An Garda Siochana does its business."
The Chief Inspector of the new Garda Inspectorate, Kathleen O'Toole, is to immediately review Garda procedures and practices following the publication of the Barr report.