AIB said it owes an immense debt of gratitude to Irish taxpayers

State bailed out the bank during the crash with a €21bn investment

The share sale will reduce the state's ownership to zero.

The State is to sell off the remaining shares it holds in AIB, the bank it bailed out during the financial crash.

The Minister for Finance, Paschal Donohoe said it was his intention to exit the State’s directed shareholding in AIB by way of an accelerated bookbuild (“ABB”) transaction.