Former tanaiste Spring joins AIB board

Allied Irish Bank has appointed a former tánaiste to its board as part of the Government’s recapitalisation plan.

Allied Irish Bank has appointed a former tánaiste to its board as part of the Government’s recapitalisation plan.

Dick Spring, a former foreign minister and Labour Party leader, has joined the bank as a non-executive director. Declan Collier, chief executive of the Dublin Airport Authority, will join Mr Spring in a similar role.

The pair were selected from a shortlist of 12 put forward by the Department of Finance.

Anglo Irish Bank, which was nationalised last week after the share price collapsed amid a loans-to-directors scandal, appointed former finance minister Alan Dukes and former head of the Revenue Commissioners Frank Daly to its board in December.

Bank of Ireland appointed former senior civil servant Tom Considine and former agriculture minister Joe Walsh as non-executive directors in the same month.

Mr Spring served as tanaiste and foreign minister between 1993 and 1997. He is executive vice chairman of Fexco Holdings, a chairman of International Development Ireland, Altobridge and Alder Capital and a director of Repak and The Realta Global Aids Foundation.

Mr Collier has been head of the DAA since 2005 after working with ExxonMobil in Ireland and the UK.

PA