Esther Uzell will hold a press conference on Wednesday declaring her intention to stand in the Dublin South East constituency on a 'Justice for Joseph' platform.

Twenty-nine-year-old Joe Rafferty was shot dead by a well-known IRA man in Clonee, Co Meath, in April 2005.

The courier was being threatened in the weeks before his death and Esther says she approached local Sinn Fein councillor Daithi Doolin three times asking him for help, and he assured them that the man making the threats "had been spoken to".

After Joseph was executed, Doolin canvassed the local area saying he was working with the family which led the Raffertys to send a solicitor's letter asking him to stay away from them.

Esther Uzell is being supported by the McCartney sisters from Belfast whose brother Robert was also murdered by the IRA.

They will attend the press announcement and will canvass on behalf of Uzell, as will Anne McCabe, the widow of Detective Garda Jerry McCabe.

Nobody has been charged with Joseph's murder and Esther Uzell has faced widespread intimidation by local republicans since. She has decided to stand in the election on behalf of all victims of crime.

"I am running to get justice for Joseph and to represent all victims of crime who are still waiting for justice. I am the only voice that Joseph has left.

"The McCartneys and Anne McCabe have been absolutely fabulous and have said they will support me in every way that they can. They will be travelling to Dublin to canvass for me and we are all sticking together. It is really fantastic."

Esther was in the White House on St Patrick's Day after being invited to meet President George W Bush for a second time. "It was an honour to be invited, but I wasn't there for a social occasion. I really wanted to highlight Joseph's cause. President Bush said he would not forget me and he has been true to his word.

"I really hope that I won't have to go over next year, because I hope Joseph's killers will have been charged by then."

The man who is suspected of Joe Rafferty's death is regarded as a serious criminal who has worked on the campaigns of at least two Sinn Fein TDs.

Esther Uzell has plans to hold a number of fundraisers over the next two weeks, but has opened a bank account to raise some muchneeded funds for posters and other election expenses.

The account is in Bank of Ireland, Sort Code 90-13-78 Account Number 65524868.