“We’re very aware that without the support of Irish taxpayers, this bank would have ceased to exist,” said Hunt. AIB – among the most rates-sensitive banks across the sector in Europe – couldn’t help but make record profits in recent years. It follows a series of false dawns for when Irish bank balance sheets would grow again, after contracting dramatically after the financial crash. Colin Hunt: 'There is significantly less talk about the green transition than there was a few years ago. Of big interest to investors will be guidance on how the bank plans to distribute excess capital over the period.

Source: The Irish Times January 09, 2026 16:31 UTC