THE family of a man shot dead by a known Sinn Féin and IRA member in a petty feud has been assured by justice minister Dermot Ahern and senior gardaí that efforts to charge his killer will continue.

Today is the fourth anniversary of the murder of Dublin father Joseph Rafferty (28), who was shot dead outside his apartment in Ongar, west Dublin in 2005.

Despite intensive political lobbying in Dublin and Washington DC, and exhaustive garda inquiries, the chief suspect remains free.

The Rafferty family, who are from Pearse Street, has experienced intimidation and threats from those believed to be responsible for the murder – but has vowed to continue to pursue justice.

The sister of the deceased, Esther Uzell, who has headed up the campaign for justice, told the Sunday Tribune that two meetings in the run-up to the anniversary gave the family further assurance of efforts to prosecute the suspect.

"The meeting (with senior gardaí last Thursday evening) was basically to say that everything was still completely wide open and they are working hard on it. They are determined to solve it," she said.

"I sought a meeting with the justice minister to discuss the case and he gave me assurances that everything that needs to be done has been done and will continue to be done."

Today, the Rafferty family will repeat their normal anniversary custom; a remembrance mass and a visit to Joseph's grave.

In the meantime, the suspected killer and his family continue to live in the south inner city, making it virtually impossible for the Raffertys to avoid bumping into them.

The chief suspect is understood to have been working in construction and, on one occasion recently, was spotted drinking in a local pub near to the Rafferty family.

"He is obviously still at large in the local community and he has no remorse for what he has done. It's very hard to live with them [the family] around you," said Uzell.

But despite these difficulties, and having a child only a year ago, Uzell is now considering running in the local elections in order to further publicise the campaign and spread her message around the inner city community.

"I am thinking strongly about the local elections in June, I got 673 votes [in the 2007 general election]. That was very good. It wasn't done with the intent to get in, I knew I wouldn't, it was just to highlight the campaign and it makes the likes of the people who took Joseph's life know that people are standing up to them."

Rafferty was shot as he attempted to get into his van outside his home after a falling out with members of another inner-city family.

The killer is known by gardaí to be a member of both Sinn Féin and the IRA. When Joseph Rafferty became involved in the dispute, his family repeatedly went to elected representatives of Sinn Féin and claim they received assurances that he would not be harmed.

Sinn Féin has persistently denied that it has any information about the murder and said it continues to call for anybody with information to go to the gardaí.