The bank removed some of the better performing loans on Wednesday and Eamon Crowley said that of the remaining 11,200, 30 percent were made up of buy-to-let loans with the rest on private homes.

"This year is our objective," Crowley said when asked when the bank hopes to close the deal. "The market still remains very positive in terms of the desire to participate."

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Graham Fahy and John Stonestreet)