The National Treasury Management Agency said it raised €1.5 billion today through the sale of seven, 10 and 15-year bonds in its penultimate auction of the year. 

The NTMA has raised a total of €22.75 billion through bond sales this year.

Today's auction was just the second time ever the NTMA has offered three bonds in an auction - the first time it did so was in July.

The debt agency said in July that its funding activity to plug a coronavirus pandemic-widened budget deficit would be at the upper end of a €20-24 billion funding range, 95% of which it has now raised.

The NTMA said today that its seven year bond was sold at a yield of -0.42% -  the lowest ever yield at which an Irish government bond was sold in an auction.

Today's ten year bond was sold at a yield of -0.192% and the 15 year bond saw a yield of 0.056%.

All of the auctions were oversubscribed, it added.

The debt agency is planning to hold a Treasury Bill auction next Thursday, October 15.

Its next - and final - bond auction of the year is scheduled for Thursday November 12