Michael Noonan ‘in no rush’ to sell AIB stake

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said the Government is in no rush to sell down its near-100% stake in AIB, adding that the timing of such a move will not be dictated by the agenda of a general election.

Any dilution of the 99.8% share the State holds in the bank might not occur until next year, Mr Noonan said yesterday.

Speaking on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics yesterday, Mr Noonan dismissed claims that he was using the dilution of the State’s shareholdings in the banks effectively as a vote-enhancing move ahead of an anticipated election early next year, and that he could be missing out on a better return for the State by selling up so quickly.