Government to begin selling its 13.9% stake in Bank of Ireland

Minister for Finance says sale of state’s shares, valued at €640 million, would take place over the next six months as part of a phased exit

Francesca McDonagh, chief executive of Bank of Ireland, said the sale of state shares represented a ‘positive step – for Irish taxpayers, the Irish economy, and Bank of Ireland’

The government has announced plans to begin selling off its 13.9 per cent stake in Bank of Ireland, more than a decade after bailing the bank out during the financial crisis.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe confirmed this morning that the state would sell part of its shareholding over the next six months in an “orderly” fashion.

Ahead of the sale, the government’s remaining equity stake in Bank of Ireland is valued at around €640 ...