AIB has changed the venue for its annual general meeting this year to Dublin from the planned Belfast venue because of the foot-and-mouth disease. The a.g.m. will be held on April 25th at 12 noon in AIB Bankcentre in Ballsbridge. But a spokesman said AIB was keeping the situation under review and the meeting could be deferred if there was any deterioration. AIB said official guidelines on the prevention of foot-and-mouth disease advised that all travel between the Republic and Northern Ireland should be restricted unless absolutely necessary. On that basis the meeting was transferred to Dublin.

About 500 to 600 people from all over Ireland would attend an AIB a.g.m. The spokesman said only a small number of shareholders from Northern Ireland would normally attend.