Ireland Said to Weigh Taking Majority Ownership in Allied Irish

The Irish government is in talks with Allied Irish Banks Plc that may result in the state taking majority ownership of the company, the nation’s second-largest lender, said two people with direct knowledge of the discussions.

The talks are centered on whether Allied Irish, 18.7 percent owned by the government, needs to raise more than the 7.4 billion euros ($10.1 billion) Ireland’s financial regulator directed it to raise in March, people briefed on the matter said yesterday. A decision is set to be announced before European markets open today, one of the people said.