BOSTON, MA -- (Marketwired) -- 06/15/14 -- The New Ireland Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") (NYSE: IRL), a closed-end management investment company, announced today that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has approved a managed distribution policy.
The Board approved the policy in order to provide a steady and sustainable quarterly cash distribution to Fund shareholders, and as an additional measure intended to reduce any discount to net asset value ("NAV") at which the Fund's shares have tended to trade.
The Board has determined that the Fund will pay quarterly distributions at an annual rate, set once a year, that is a percentage of the Fund's NAV at its most recent fiscal year end, or in the case of any distribution payable prior to October 31, 2014, the Fund's NAV at July 31, 2014. The Board has determined that the initial annual percentage will be 8%.
Among other factors, in approving the managed distribution policy the Board considered the ability of the Fund to sustain the policy and considered that making periodic distributions could increase liquidity for common shareholders and may assist in narrowing the discount to NAV at which shares of common stock have tended to trade. Of course, there can be no guarantee that these benefits will occur or that any improvement would continue. The policy will be subject to regular review by the Board and remains subject to suspension, modification or termination by the Board without notice at any time.
The distributions paid pursuant to the managed distribution policy are expected to be paid from net investment income, net realized capital gains and, to any extent necessary, paid-in capital.
The implementation of the managed distribution policy is subject to the receipt by the Fund of exemptive relief from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission which would permit the Fund to distribute long-term capital gains more than once a year. The Fund has applied for such exemptive relief and anticipates receiving such exemptive relief in the near future. Absent the exemptive relief, the Fund is generally permitted to distribute long-term capital gains only once each year. If the Fund does not receive the exemptive relief, the managed distribution policy will not be implemented.
The amounts and sources of distributions for tax reporting purposes will depend on the Fund's investment experience during its fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund is subject to U.S. corporate, tax and securities laws. Under U.S. tax accounting rules, the amount of distributable income for each fiscal year depends on the dividend and interest income received, the actual exchange rates during the entire year between the U.S. dollar and the currencies in which Fund assets are denominated, and on the aggregate gains and losses realized by the Fund during the entire year. Therefore, the exact amount of distributable income for each fiscal year can only be determined as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year, October 31. However, under the U.S. Investment Company Act of 1940, the Fund is required to estimate and disclose the source of each distribution to shareholders. This estimated distribution composition may vary from quarter to quarter because it may be materially impacted by future realized gains and losses on securities and fluctuations in the value of the currencies in which Fund assets are denominated. You will be sent a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes.
The Fund held its Annual Meeting of Stockholders on Tuesday, June 10, 2014. The only proposal before the meeting was for the re-election of Ms. Margaret Duffy and Mr. Sean Hawkshaw as Directors of the Fund. The proposal was carried by a substantial majority.
The New Ireland Fund, Inc. is a closed-end management investment company that seeks long-term capital appreciation through investing at least 80% of its total assets in a portfolio of Irish securities.
The Fund is managed by Kleinwort Benson Investors International Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of Kleinwort Benson Investors Dublin Ltd., and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol - IRL. For further information, please contact the Fund at (800) 468-6475.
Website: www.newirelandfund.com
New Ireland Fund
(800) 468-6475
