ECB running out of room to snap up Irish bonds

NTMA could once rely on the bank to buy upwards of €1 billion in debt a month – but that plunged to just €648 million in December

ECB president Mario Draghi

The rate of Irish government bond purchasing by the European Central Bank under its money printing plan has slowed dramatically in recent months, new figures show.

The bank published data last week revealing that it bought €648 million of Irish debt in December.

This was down from €979 million in November and €1 billion in October. The ECB’s bond-buying spree peaked at a little over €1.1 billion a month last year.

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