News photographers fear their livelihoods will be endangered by the deal between reporters and management at the Drogheda Independent Group, owned by Independent News & Media (IN&M), which owns 29.9% of this newspaper.

In other Irish newspapers, only photojournalists can take pictures, with reporters barred from using cameras.

According to Ger Walsh, IN&M's regional chief executive, the company sought the change from its reporters to enable its newspapers to operate more flexibly.

"Anyone can take an acceptable picture these days and there is technology on the camera itself and in the production process that can do anything to improve the quality of a photo, " he said. "It would be particularly useful where reporters are able to arrive at the scene of an incident before the photographer can."

He said there was no suggestion the company would stop using professional photojournalists and said the change would "ensure we have the widest range of pictures".

However, the move has led to a revolt among photojournalists against the NUJ's Irish leadership, which brokered the deal. On Friday, it was referred to the union's national executive in London.

Sinead Sarsfield, a freelance photographer who works for the Drogheda Independent, said there was a possibility that photojournalists might split from the union.

"People are so disgusted and dismayed that we have been asking ourselves what is the point of being a member of the NUJ, " she said. "They've sold us out. There is no protection for the future of photojournalism in Ireland. It doesn't matter how much technological advances you have, photographers have to have an eye for photography and have learned their skills over the years."

But the NUJ's Irish secretary Seamus Dooley said the union felt it had no alternative but to accept the deal in the light of improvements in digital photography.

"I can't accept responsibility for technological change. We have to strike a balance between embracing change and controlling it or having it thrust upon us, " he said.

Dooley said the deal was part of an agreement that would lead to an increase in the salaries of reporters at the Drogheda Independent.