Bank of Ireland has seen its losses increase to €1.2 billion for the first 6 months of the year.

That is up from €556 million this time last year.

The bank has set aside €941 million to deal with bad loans which is up from €842 million last year.

This is because of a rise in impairments on its Irish residential mortgage book.

Employee numbers have remained relatively flat in the first half of the year.

But Bank of Ireland Chief Executive Richie Boucher said hundreds of workers will leave in the coming 12 months.

He was speaking to Newstalk’s Business Editor Ian Guider.