STORM TRACKER: Follow 'Storm Amy' as it bears down on Ireland amid brutal forecast
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05 Sept 2025
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05 Sept 2025
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The Finance Minister is welcoming the news that the Irish State is no longer the largest shareholder of Bank of Ireland.
He called the news "a very positive development" following the announcement today (January 19) that the State's ahres have fallen below 7%.
He said, "Due to the operation of our trading plan which is gradually selling the State’s shares into the market, our shareholding in Bank of Ireland has now fallen below 7%. This has resulted in the State no longer being the bank’s largest shareholder. This is a very positive development for both the Irish State and for Bank of Ireland.
"The Irish Government believes that banking is an activity that should be provided by the private sector and that taxpayer funds which were used to rescue the banks should be recovered and used for more productive purposes. As today’s news shows, we continue to make progress in achieving this goal.”
According to RTÉ, the taxpayer's stake has dipped from 7.97% to 6.93%, which is slightly behind the new largest shareholder, Blackrock, sitting at 6.95%.
CEO of Bank of Ireland, Francesca McDonagh, told RTÉ the ongoing sale process is "a positive one for Irish taxpayers, the Irish economy, and Bank of Ireland".
She said, "We welcome [the] momentum, and look forward to being the first Irish bank to return to full private ownership during this year."
The State will now turn focus to selling their stake in AIB, which stands at just over 70%.
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