THE Irish Times is considering making a bid for the Leinster Leader group of newspapers which is expected to sell for more than €80 million.

THREE indigenous food and drink brands are to be marketed in a €2.7m newspaper advertising campaign at no cost to the owners.

IRISH TIMES managing director Maeve Donovan played down the reported threat of further job losses at the newspaper.

IRISH TIMES editor Geraldine Kennedy and managing director Maeve Donovan were each paid a basic salary of 296,000 last year, less than two years after the newspaper’s financial crisis and near-collapse that saw approximately 250 job losses.

CLAIMS by a former Irish Times journalist that the company exaggerated losses in order to achieve staff cut-backs has been strongly rejected by management.