AIB shares and small investors

Sir, – Your editorial ("A gamble on AIB that may pay off", November 23rd) questions why small investors continued to buy AIB shares.

I beg to differ. It was the small investor who bought them originally as so-called blue-chip investments for their retirement and then through no fault of their own found themselves stuck with valueless shares and no income. The ones who bought them since are the speculators .

Now it is proposed to deepen the pain even more and be given one share for every 250 they own. Even Shylock did not get blood with his pound of flesh.

– Yours, etc,

DAVID MURNANE

Dunshaughlin,

Co Meath.