(BKIR.L) Bank of Ireland (Governor & Co of) Buy/Sell

DUBLIN, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Shares in Ireland's top two banks fell on Tuesday, with a trader citing concern over slow progress in the country's bank sector restructuring compared to Britain.
Allied Irish shares were 12.2 percent lower at 1.47 euros by 0946 GMT, while Bank of Ireland, due to report first-half results on Wednesday, was down 10.1 percent to 1.43 euros. The wider Irish market was down 2.3 percent.
"They're sorting out their problems over there (Britain) and we're way behind," the Dublin-based trader said after Lloyds Banking Group's launched a 13.5 billion pound ($22 billion) rights issue and, along with Royal Bank of Scotland , agreed to sell off businesses.
The two British lenders will sell off the businesses to limit their reliance on government support while Irish banks wait for a 54 billion-euro "bad bank" scheme to pass through parliament.
The Irish government expects the law establishing the National Asset Management agency to be passed by parliament on Nov. 12, the minister in charge of coordinating voting said on Sunday after worries over slow progress hit shares last week.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Editing by Dan Lalor) Keywords: IRELAND BANKS/SHARES (padraic.halpin@reuters.com; Reuters Messaging: padraic.halpin.reuters.com@reuters.net; +353 1 500 1504)

COPYRIGHT

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2009. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Reuters News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Reuters.