AIB chief executive Eugene Sheehy has written to staff at the bank seeking to reassure them following the sharp drop in the bank's share price in recent days.
Mr Sheehy said the past few days had again seen the banking sector, at home and internationally, go through an 'extremely volatile' time.
He said the Government's decision to nationalise Anglo Irish Bank, along with other developments, had all had a knock-on effect on share prices and had led to uncertainty and speculation about what would happen next.
'I can understand that seeing our share price drop severely is worrying and that you may wonder whether some of the speculation might be true,' Mr Sheehy says.
But he added that AIB 'continues to be a strong, sound, internationally diversified organisation'. Mr Sheehy said the bank had the depth and strength 'to manage its way through this period of uncertainty as an independent organisation'.
He urged staff not to become 'sidetracked' by rumours and speculation and to stay focused on looking after customers.
AIB shares, which dropped almost 60% yesterday, closed don another 15 cent at 45 cent in Dublin.
