Sinn Féin Councillor for Erne West, Stephen Huggett has raised concerns that dairy farmers in the north of Ireland are very unlikely to receive anything from the recently agreed ¤280 million Milk Fund.

Councillor Huggett said: "It is my view that dairy farmers in the north of Ireland are very unlikely to receive anything from the recently agreed ¤280 million Milk Fund, announced in Luxembourg recently, as the British Government, which opposed the creation of the fund, is unlikely to avail of it, therefore preventing our Agriculture Department from drawing down the money."

Mr Huggett continued, "The British Government strongly opposed the EU Commissions proposals to assist the dairy sector, but now that they lost the vote they are likely to ensure that applying for the money is optional for member states when it reaches the EU Finance Committee.

"It is clear that the British Treasury rules the roost when it comes to British Government policy on EU matters and they will insist that to access this fund costs too much, so our farmers will lose out."

He concluded, "I feel this will be yet another clear example of our farmers being disadvantaged due to British Government policies.

"This scheme was fought hard for by the Irish government and farmers in the 26 counties will benefit while farmers in the north will go to the wall under the current arrangements."