Bank of Ireland : Announcement - 188 kB

308d221d-94bf-4bd2-b2fd-7785b914d4bd.pdf

The Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland (the ''Group'')

Bank of Ireland Group Announcement

14 July 2016

In the six months to 30 June 2016, the Group continued to trade in line with expectations with asset quality continuing to improve.

The outcome of the EU referendum in the UK has impacted, amongst other factors, foreign exchange rates and interest rates including AA Corporate Bond yields which, under IAS 19 accounting requirements, are used to discount the liabilities in the Group's sponsored defined benefit pension schemes. As a consequence, the net impact has been to increase the IAS 19 accounting standard defined benefit pension deficit to c.€1.2 billion at 30 June 2016 from €0.74 billion at December 2015.

The interim results process for the six months ended 30 June 2016 is in progress. The Group's interim results will be announced at 7am on 29 July 2016.

Ends

For further information please contact:

Bank of Ireland Andrew Keating	Group Chief Financial Officer	+353 (0)766 23 5141
Alan Hartley Pat Farrell	Director of Group Investor Relations Head of Group Communications	+353 (0)766 23 4850 +353 (0)766 23 4770

Forward-Looking Statement

This document contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the US Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the US Securities Act of 1933 with respect to certain of the Bank of Ireland Group's (the 'Group') plans and its current goals and expectations relating to its future financial condition and performance, the markets in which it operates, and its future capital requirements. These forward looking statements often can be identified by the fact that they do not relate only to historical or current facts. Generally, but not always, words such as 'may,' 'could,' 'should,' 'will,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'estimate,' 'anticipate,' 'assume,' 'believe,' 'plan,' 'seek,' 'continue,' 'target,' 'goal', 'would,' 'can,' 'might,' or their negative variations or similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward looking. Examples of forward-looking statements include among others, statements regarding the Group's near term and longer term future capital requirements and ratios, level of ownership by the Irish Government, loan to deposit ratios, expected impairment charges, the level of the Group's assets, the Group's financial position, future income, business strategy, projected costs, margins, future payment of dividends, the implementation of changes in respect of certain of the Group's pension schemes, estimates of capital expenditures, discussions with Irish, United Kingdom, European and other regulators and plans and objectives for future operations.

Such forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and hence actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the following: geopolitical risks, which could potentially adversely impact the markets in which the Group operates; uncertainty relating to the nature and timing of outcomes of the EU referendum in the UK; concerns on sovereign debt and financial uncertainties in the EU and the potential effects of those uncertainties on the financial services industry and on the Group; general and sector specific economic conditions in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the other markets in which the Group operates;

the ability of the Group to generate additional liquidity and capital as required; property market conditions in Ireland and the United Kingdom; the potential exposure of the Group to credit risk and to various types of market risks, such as interest rate risk, foreign exchange rate risk; the impact on lending and other activity arising from emerging macro prudential policies; the performance and volatility of international capital markets; the effects of the Irish Government's stockholding in the Group (through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund) and possible changes in the level of such stockholding; changes in applicable laws, regulations and taxes in jurisdictions in which the Group operates particularly banking regulation by the Irish and United Kingdom Governments together with the operation of the Single Supervisory Mechanism and the establishment of the Single Resolution Mechanism; the impact of the continuing implementation of significant regulatory developments such as Basel III, Capital Requirements Directive (CRD) IV, Solvency II and the Recovery and Resolution Directive; the exercise by regulators of powers of regulation and oversight in Ireland and the United Kingdom; the introduction of new government policies or the amendment of existing policies in Ireland or the United Kingdom; the outcome of any legal claims brought against the Group by third parties or legal or regulatory proceedings more generally, that may have implications for the Group; the development and implementation of the Group's strategy, including the Group's ability to achieve net interest margin increases and cost reductions; the inherent risk within the Group's life assurance business involving claims, as well as market conditions generally; potential further contributions to the Group sponsored pension schemes if the value of pension fund assets is not sufficient to cover potential obligations; the Group's ability to address weaknesses or failures in its internal processes and procedures including information technology issues and equipment failures and other operational risks; the Group's ability to meet customer' expectations in mobile, social, analytics and cloud technologies which have enabled a new breed of 'digital first' propositions, business models and competitors; failure to establish availability of future taxable profits, or a legislative change in quantum of deferred tax assets currently recognised; and difficulties in recruiting and retaining appropriate numbers and calibre of staff.

Nothing in this document should be considered to be a forecast of future profitability or financial position and none of the information in this document is or is intended to be a profit forecast or profit estimate. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as at the date it is made. The Group does not undertake to release publicly any revision to these forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or unanticipated events occurring after the date hereof. The reader should however, consult any additional disclosures that the Group has made or may make in documents filed or submitted or may file or submit to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.