McCartney sisters to meet Taoiseach

The sisters of murdered Belfast man Robert McCartney are to meet Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in Dublin today as part of their ongoing campaign to bring their brother's killers to justice.

Mr McCartney, a 33-year-old father-of-two, was beaten and stabbed to death outside a pub in Belfast on January 30, allegedly by senior IRA members.

His sisters have accused Sinn Féin and the IRA of mounting a cover-up to ensure witnesses remain silent and that those responsible are not brought to justice.

Speaking ahead of today's meeting, Paula McCartney said the family wanted Mr Ahern to ensure the killing was on the agenda during any future negotiations with Sinn Féin.

"We're very frustrated at the minute," she said. "[It's been] 10 weeks and these people [the killers] are still walking around this area."