The south Galway man injured in a shoot-out outside his home in Gort on Monday was described as still "critical but stable" at University College Hospital, Galway, last night.
With two Garda investigations under way into the shooting, Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has defended the force's handling of the situation.
"It is a very grave matter to use a firearm in public. It is a very grave matter to shoot a member of the gardaí," he said in Dublin.
"It is also a very grave matter to endanger the lives of other citizens and as I have said on another occasion and I repeat now, it would be an entirely different matter if I was visiting the widow of a member of An Garda Síochána today," Mr McDowell said.
Anthony Burke, a 40-year-old construction worker from Gort, received emergency surgery for a bullet wound on Monday night after he was fired on by a Garda emergency response unit (ERU) sniper. Gardaí say Mr Burke had already fired some shots several seconds before and was acting in a very threatening manner. He had failed to be disabled by a "less lethal" beanbag round, also deployed by the ERU, after a 21-hour stand-off at his home during which efforts were made to negotiate with him.
Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy has appointed Chief Supt Kieran Kenny, from Sligo Garda station, to investigate "all aspects" of Monday night's incident in Gort, according to the Garda press office. A separate criminal investigation is already under way into the circumstances surrounding Mr Burke's actions, which began shortly after 11pm on Sunday when his partner was forced to take shelter in a neighbour's house at Crowe Street, and Mr Burke began discharging his shotgun into the street outside.
Some 50 neighbouring households were evacuated on Monday by gardaí and the area was cordoned off throughout the day.
An experienced clay pigeon shot, Mr Burke has licences for two shotguns. The motive for his actions is as yet unclear but his father died recently. He has been employed on a water scheme in Kilrush, Co Clare, and neighbours said his behaviour was "out of character".
The Garda has defended its response as "proportionate", and the outcome as "unfortunate" after a full day's attempt at negotiation with Mr Burke. Mr McDowell said that the force had his "full backing in these situations".
"There is a tendency in Ireland at the moment to consider that the person who is threatening the gardaí and firing at them and the like is the victim and somehow that the gardaí are the perpetrators in these situations," Mr McDowell said.
"Nothing could be further from the truth. I wish the gentleman in question a complete and speedy recovery and I hope that whatever problems he had that led to this situation can be addressed, but it is a very grave matter to use a firearm in public, it is a very grave matter to shoot at members of the gardaí, it is also a very grave matter to endanger the lives of other citizens."
