How much? Sale of Allied Irish Banks has government walking a fine line

Dublin

AS Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan prepares to sell off Allied Irish Banks Plc (AIB) in London's biggest share sale this year, he faces a dilemma.

Should the outgoing minister, in his last big decision, set the value too low next week, he risks annoying the taxpayers who had to bail out the lender. Set the price too high, and he may choke demand from investors still nursing losses from the last time Ireland sold a bank stake. Ideally, the shares would rise about 5 per cent on the first day of trading, according to a person familiar with the government's deliberations.