BELFAST (Reuters) - A senior member of Northern Ireland’s Democratic Unionist Party on Wednesday blamed rivals Sinn Fein for the collapse of talks on forming a power-sharing government and suggested the DUP would not compromise on the key issue of the Irish language.

In the first public statement from the DUP on the collapse of talks, member of parliament Gregory Campbell accused Sinn Fein of holding back government with “a narrow political agenda”.

Campbell suggested that the DUP would not accept Sinn Fein demands for additional rights and funding for Irish language speakers, the key sticking point in talks in recent weeks, saying it already receives ample public funding.

“We cannot and will not be party to an agreement that elevates the Irish language not only above all others, but above health, education and other vital public services,” he said.