Mediahuis Eire, which publishes the Belfast Telegraph and titles within the Republic, has introduced a proposal to shut its print plant in Newry, Co Down.
The group plans to switch the print capability with new long-term printing agreements or contracts with the Irish Instances group and different third-party suppliers.
The group had consolidated all of its Irish printing on the Newry plant in recent times following its closure or withdrawal from three beforehand owned printing services together with at Citywest on the sting of Dublin.
In a press release to employees on Tuesday Mediahuis Eire, which is headed by CEO Peter Vandermeersch, stated the proposal to shut the printing facility is a direct consequence of diminished newspaper volumes and escalating costs together with substantial distribution prices.
"Our precedence is on defending the way forward for our enterprise by responding to the altering wants of our business, and to make sure a future sustainable publishing mannequin as we proceed our transition to a digital targeted information organisation,” the corporate stated within the assertion to employees.
The information got here because the Republic’s Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe acknowledged the stress on the media business with a minimize within the Vat fee from 9% to 0%.
It's anticipated that the print web site will probably be vacated by the start of 2023.
The corporate stated it has entered a interval of session and engagement with workers in Newry. The employees immediately concerned embody plenty of extremely certified and skilled printing, mechanical and electrical specialists.
In future, it's meant that the group’s titles will probably be printed with the Irish Instances and different third-party suppliers, with the goal of optimising the distribution community and decreasing transport necessities and carbon footprint, the corporate stated.
Sub-contracting preparations are already in place with plenty of third-party service suppliers.
The Belfast Telegraph and Sunday Life will proceed to be printed in Northern Eire.
The deliberate closure of the Newry web site adopted information that the The Fingal Impartial, a weekly native newspaper in north county Dublin, will shut in October amid rising prices and falling revenues.
Mediahuis Eire introduced its intention to stop publication of the North Dublin weekly newspaper title to employees on Tuesday.
The media group, which additionally owns belfasttelegraph.co.uk and Sunday Life, stated it's working to develop a brand new Dublin Native initiative which is able to present a devoted on-line different for the Fingal viewers.
The corporate stated it would persevering with its publishing dedication to the Drogheda Impartial and The Argus in Dundalk.
The Fingal Impartial was first revealed in 1983 and covers the areas of Swords, Balbriggan, Lusk, Rush, Skerries, Malahide, Portmarnock and Balrothery in North County Dublin.
A structural lower in revenues in these suburban areas, mixed with a really sturdy enhance in prices, has led to the truth that this standalone print title is now not worthwhile. The final situation will seem on October 26, Mediahuis stated in a press release.
“Mediahuis as a gaggle has a powerful portfolio of market-leading manufacturers and over the approaching interval we are going to work to transition our readers and clients to our different on-line choices as a part of our digital roadmap," the corporate stated.
“Already this has resulted within the acquisition of some 58,000 subscribers up to now in simply over 2.5 years.”
On the Fingal Impartial, the corporate has commenced a 30 day interval of session and engagement with what's described as a small variety of impacted workers to make sure that the method is managed as effectively as attainable and that each one essential helps are offered.