UPDATE: 6: Taoiseach Enda Kenny said he deplored the attack on the Waterford Garda's home after which the young man lost his life but rejected suggestions it signalled an upsurge in violence against members of the force.
UPDATE: 5: A 16-year-old boy has been found dead near a stream in Co Waterford, following an earlier incident in which a senior Garda was assaulted.
UPDATE: 2: The person killed in on overnight serious incident in Dungarvan, Co Waterford was a teenage boy.
Mr Kenny, speaking in Cork, said he did not believe that the incident was in any way indicative of an upsurge in violence linked to anger at the force over recent revelations.
"No, I think we have had a number of tragic incidents (against the Gardai) over the years either by the IRA or by other criminal activities where Gardai have been caught in situations like this," Mr Kenny said.
The Taoiseach said he did not want to comment in detail on the Dungarvan incident because an independent investigation was underway.
"I don't have all the details of this. But I deplore this kind of attack. I understand that somebody has died in this matter and that is to be very much regretted," he said.
"The issue now becomes one for investigation by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) where any member of the Gardai are involved GSOC will have to undertake that investigation and report to the Minister for Justice (Frances Fitzgerald)."
A gang attacked the home of the officer in the early hours of this morning in the west Waterford town.
The garda suffered slash wounds to his head and was transferred to Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH) in Ardkeen for treatment.
His injuries are not life-threatening.
The garda was injured as he bravely tried to chase the four man gang away from his home.
The men fled on foot and one is understood to have become separated from his friends and, in fleeing over marshland, tripped and injured himself.
It appears that he then fell into a stream or river and drowned.
Two other men were arrested not far from the scene and are currently being questioned by gardai.
Mr Kenny declined to comment further on the incident.
"I don't have all the details and it is a matter for GSOC," he said.
But he said he could not see how the incident was in any way triggered by recent events involving the garda force nationally.
The gardai have been rocked by the resignation of Commissioner Martin Callinan, whistle-blower revelations in Cork and Westmeath and then the resignation of Justice Minister Alan Shatter.
"The issues of the recent past are ones we can deal with," Mr Kenny stressed.
"The Minister for Justice has outlined the decisions taken by Government and a process here with timelines to move in that direction."
"Clearly people do want to have integrity and belief in the Gardai...the men and women who work in the Garda want the same thing."
------------------UPDATE: 5: A 16-year-old boy has been found dead near a stream in Co Waterford, following an earlier incident in which a senior Garda was assaulted.
The senior garda and his wife were at their home in Dungarvan when they heard the sound of glass breaking around midnight.
The Garda went outside and was confronted by three youths. A bottle was thrown at the officer and he sustained a cut to the back of the head.
The three teens ran off, and on-duty gardaí were called.
Around an hour later, a 16-year-old was found unconscious close to a stream. He was later pronounced dead. A postmortem is to be carried out to determine the cause of death.
Two youths have been arrested and are being questioned by gardaí.
The garda is said to be in a distressed state but is not seriously injured.
The Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission is investigating and a senior investigator is at the scene.
UPDATE: 4:
An 18-year-old man has died after trying to escape from a raid on a senior garda's house in Dungarvan in Co Waterford last night.
It is understood the man was in a group of possibly four men who attacked the family home of a senior garda in the town.
The garda was hit over the head with a bottle or received another wound, it is believed.
The attackers fled the scene, some on foot. It is understood the man who died may have fallen on something in or near water.
The Coast Guard helicopter was called out last night to help in the search.
Three other men have been arrested.
The Garda Ombudsman Commission has been contacted.
One of its investigation teams has arrived in Dungarvan and is being briefed this morning.
---------------UPDATE: 2: The person killed in on overnight serious incident in Dungarvan, Co Waterford was a teenage boy.
Although details are still sketchy, it is understood the teenager was one of a small group of two or four who went to a garda’s home late last night.
In an ensuing incident, the senior garda was injured and is being treated in hospital. RTE reports he was hit over the head with a bottle, and may have received anotehr injury. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
His attackers fled the scene, at least one of them on foot. That person has died, after a fall,
A witness said a man hunt took place between 2am and 3.30am with a coastguard helicopter hovering over Abbeyside for 45mins.
The Garda Ombudsman has been contacted and a senior investigation team is in place in Waterford
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UPDATE: 3: A (teenage boy) is dead following a security incident in Dungarvan, Co Waterford in which a senior garda was stabbed.A major search was launched following the attack at the house of the senior officer, and a youth was reported to have received fatal injuries when he was being chased down by gardai.
It is understood he fell in an area of marshland on the coast and possibly fell on a sharp object.
The drama unfolded at around 2am when a group of up to four men were involved in the attack at the garda’s house.
It is unclear if the gang got into the house or if the member of the force came out to confront the intruders, but he is understood to have been stabbed or slashed in a confrontation.
During a follow-up operation two suspects were being pursued by gardai when they took to an area of marshland behind the Abbeyside estate. The coastguard were also brought in to help in the search.
One man was arrested at the scene but a second man is said to have died, either after falling or by drowning.
It was also being reported locally that he received injuries injuries on agricultural equipment and then fell into the water.
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A man has died fleeing the scene of a attack on a senior garda’s house last night, it has emerged this morning.
It is believed the incident occurred at around midnight last night. The Superintendent was at his family home in Dungaran and a bottle was thrown at a window of the house.
It is understood that the man went outside where he was confronted by at least three youths. He was hit on the back of the head with a bottle and tried to restrain one of them.
While fleeing the scene through a housing estate, one of the youths was fatally injured. The injured garda was taken to hospital.
A garda spokesperson told TheJournal.ie that the incident is now being investigated by the Garda Ombudsman Commission.
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A man has died after an attempted raid on the home of a senior garda in Waterford overnight.
Although details are still sketchy, it is understood the man was one of a small group of two or four who attacked the garda’s home.
The garda was stabbed and is being treated in hospital, where his injuries are not thought to be life-threatening.
His attackers fled the scene, at least one of them on foot. That man has died, after he fell on something sharp.
RTE reported that the Garda Ombudsman has been contacted and that a senior investigation team has just arrived on the scene.
More details as we get them.
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