CELTIC MEDIA GROUP – which publishes titles such as the Meath Chronicle and the Anglo Celt – has said it will be temporarily cutting its workforce amid collapsing revenues due to the Covid-19 outbreak.

In a statement this evening, it sounded warnings that urgent State support is needed for the news publishing industry with a number of titles around the country facing potential closure.

The group also publishes the Connaught Telegraph, Your Forum, the Westmeath Examiner and Independent Westmeath.

All staff are being paid in full to the end of March, but a decision has been made to temporarily cut some positions among editorial and sales staff. These staff will avail of the emergency Covid-19 payment, the company said, adding that numbers haven’t been confirmed among its 90-strong workforce.

The company still plans to publish its five weekly cover price titles across print and online, but said the publication of its Offaly Independent free newspaper is now suspended.

Frank Mulrennan, chief executive of Celtic Media Group said: “I am so proud of how my colleagues throughout the centres are responding to this crisis situation for us all in local businesses.

“By acting quickly once we saw the scale of revenue downturn in the last fortnight, we are putting in place a lower cost platform during these crisis weeks to allow us emerge as a strong business once the economy recovers.”

In a letter to Oireachtas members, with signatories including Anglo Celt editor Linda O’Reily, Meath Chronicle editor Gavan Becton and Local Ireland director John O’Hanlon said: “Some publishers fear their ability to survive beyond the next few months without immediate Government support.

“We cannot overstate the scale of the crisis facing the news publishing industry in the coming weeks and we are asking the State to ensure we can continue to fulfil our public service role in society.”