Government denies it is set to nationalise BoI
While a near-total nationalisation of AIB and an increase in the state’s stake in Bank of Ireland, from its current 36% level, has been widely touted in recent weeks, reports in the British press in the last couple of days have ratcheted up the speculation — by suggesting that a further stake is likely to be bought in Bank of Ireland, as part of the planned €85bn rescue package being negotiated with IMF/EU representatives.
A report in the Financial Times suggested that the Government is readying a new cash injection into both banks — amounting to hundreds of millions of euro — by the end of this week, that could see it take a 99% stake in AIB and take a majority shareholding in Bank of Ireland.
