Ireland unlikely to tap ECB bond-buying programme - finance minister

11/09/2012 - 12:43

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland does not expect to tap the European Central Bank's new bond-buying programme before it emerges from its EU/IMF bailout at the end of next year, and after that only in case of emergency, its finance minister said on Tuesday.

If Dublin's European partners deliver on a deal to cut Ireland's legacy bank debt, Ireland will be able to make a full return to long-term bond markets without using the ECB's Outright Monetary Transaction programme, Michael Noonan told Reuters.

(Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by John Stonestreet)