The admission by John Fray, the union's deputy general secretary, is likely to further inflame divisions in the union over the work practices deal at the Drogheda Independent Group, which will see reporters use digital cameras to capture images to illustrate their stories. The move has been strongly opposed by photojournalists.

The Irish executive asked the NUJ's national executive, which consists of ordinary journalists as well as union officials, to reject it.

Fray said, however, that because their motion contained the word 'immediate', the NUJ was able to have it considered by an emergency council of union leaders, which endorsed the deal.

"The problem the Irish executive have is that when you pass a motion, you have to be careful about wording the motion, " he said.

His comments come as two internet forums hosted by the union were closed after members tried to discuss the deal online.

One forum, NUJPhoto, a mailing list for photojournalists, was shut by its operator, Pete Jenkins, after the NUJ leadership tried to force him to admit the union's Irish organiser, Seamus Dooley, to the list, even though Dooley is not a photojournalist.

A second forum belonging to the union's 'Stand Up For Journalism' campaign closed due to technical difficulties 90 minutes after members started to discuss the deal.

The forum has not yet reopened.

Fray denied, however, that the union was trying to censor debate on the issue.

"We don't believe we are stifling debate. We're having an open debate and our members are free to contact us about what we are doing."

He said the union had sought Dooley's admission to NUJPhoto because "our view is that officials should be given the opportunity to participate in the union's affairs."

However, Jenkins told the Sunday Tribune, which is 29.9% owned by Independent News & Media, proprietor of the Drogheda Independent, that he believed the NUJ's leadership had "forgotten that the members are the reason for their existence and instead seem to believe that they are an inconvenience put there to irritate and annoy them."

But he said he believed photojournalists would remain within the union and would continue to fight its current leadership over the deal.

"Whilst this whole issue of Drogheda and NUJPhoto has severely tested both my patience and my loyalty, I do plan to stay with the NUJ, at least until this battle is won or lost."

But photojournalist Alan Murphy, who set up the 'Stand Up For Journalism in Drogheda' site to publicise the controversy, has indicated that many photojournalists were staying in the NUJ merely to hold onto their press passes, which are issued by the union.

"The union needs to begin to represent and engage with photographers again, " he said.