Ireland repays final IMF loans from bailout early

DUBLIN: Ireland on Wednesday said it had repaid ahead of schedule 5.5 billion euros of loans taken under its 2010 bailout by the European Union and International Monetary Fund, including the last tranche to the IMF.

The Irish debt agency said it had repaid early 4.5 billion euros to the IMF and 1 billion euros of bilateral loans to Sweden and Denmark that were part of the bailout package .

Ireland hopes to save around 150 million euros by refinancing the money at cheaper rates as a result of the early repayment, the finance ministry said in a statement.