This morning, the Department of Finance announced that the state had fully divested itself of its stake in Bank of Ireland. The state gave Bank of Ireland a €4.7 billion bailout during the financial crisis, and in exchange took 13.9 per cent ownership in it. The goal for the state has been to get the bank shares off its books as soon as possible, subject to not selling at a loss. The sale process got underway last summer. The markets have been kind to the government. The shares have risen 464 per cent since May 2020. Since the sale process…

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