Taoiseach agrees to meet Rafferty family

TAOISEACH Bertie Ahern has agreed to meet with the family of murder victim Joseph Rafferty, who allege his killers had connections to Sinn Féin and the IRA.

Mr Ahern’s spokeswoman yesterday said he would meet Mr Rafferty’s family, probably after his return from next week’s UN Millennium Goals summit in New York.

Mr Rafferty, a motorcycle courier aged 29, was murdered in Ongar, Clonee, Co Dublin on April 12.

His sister, Esther, later alleged he was threatened the ‘Ra’ would get him after a row earlier this year.

His family say Mr Rafferty intervened when threats were made to his sister and nephew, and was threatened several times in the weeks before his murder.

Ms Rafferty claimed she and her husband had spoken to SF councillor Daithí Doolan about the threats three times before his murder. SF has consistently denied any republican was involved in it.

Ms Rafferty contended the man identified as the prime suspect is a member of Sinn Féin and the IRA.

A spokeswoman for the Government confirmed there have been contacts between the family and officials in the Taoiseach’s Department, and Mr Ahern was aware of the situation.

She pointed to the ongoing garda investigation into the murder and said the Taoiseach would be in a “listening mode” when he met the family.

Parallels have been drawn between this case and the murder of Robert McCartney in Belfast in January.

It is understood the Government will rely on the Garda investigation for its own final assessment, but the Taoiseach is prepared to listen to the concerns of Mr Rafferty’s family as it did with the McCartney family.

Yesterday, SF Dáil leader Caoimhghín O Caoláin said it was his understanding there was no involvement by any member of Sinn Fein, or of any organisation under the republican umbrella in the murder.

Asked on RTÉ did he mean the IRA by that, Mr O Caoláin replied yes.

He was launching his party’s priorities for the coming Dáil term. Deriding both the Government and the main opposition parties, he said that Fine Gael and Labour offered only a Tweedle-dum, Tweedle-dee alternative.

The party is participating in a national rally for Irish unity on September 24 and a national demonstration in support of the Rossport Five in early October.