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HOW TO INVEST
The New Ireland Fund, Inc. is listed on the New York Stock Exchange, so investors can buy through brokers using the following symbols:
| Reuters | IRL |
| Bloomberg | IRL US |
| ISIN code | US6456731040 |
| Sedol code | 2469717 |
| Cusip number | 645673104 |
Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan
The Fund will distribute to shareholders, at least annually, substantially all of its net income from dividends and interest payments and expects to distribute substantially all its net realized capital gains annually. Pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment and Cash Purchase Plan (the "Plan") approved by the Fund's Board of Directors (the "Directors"), each shareholder will be deemed to have elected, unless American Stock Transfer & Trust Company (the "Plan Agent") is instructed otherwise by the shareholder in writing, to have all distributions automatically reinvested by the Plan Agent in Fund shares pursuant to the Plan. Distributions with respect to Fund shares registered in the name of a broker-dealer or other nominee (i.e., in "street name") will be reinvested by the broker or nominee in additional Fund shares under the Plan, unless the service is not provided by the broker or nominee or the shareholder elects to receive distributions in cash. Investors who own Fund shares registered in street names may not be able to transfer those shares to another broker-dealer and continue to participate in the Plan. These shareholders should consult their broker-dealer for details. Shareholders who do not participate in the Plan will receive all distributions in cash paid by check in U.S. dollars mailed directly to the shareholder by the Plan Agent, as paying agent. Shareholders who do not wish to have distributions automatically reinvested should notify the Fund, in care of the Plan Agent for The New Ireland Fund, Inc.
The Plan Agent will serve as agent for the shareholders in administering the Plan. If the Directors of the Fund declare an income dividend or a capital gains distribution payable either in the Fund's common stock or in cash, as shareholders may have elected, non-participants in the Plan will receive cash and participants in the Plan will receive common stock to be issued by the Fund. If the market price per share on the valuation date equals or exceeds net asset value per share on that date, the Fund will issue new shares to participants at net asset value or, if the net asset value is less than 95% of the market price on the valuation date, then at 95% of the market price. The valuation date will be the dividend or distribution payment date or, if that date is not a trading day on the New York Stock Exchange, Inc. ("New York Stock Exchange"), the next preceding trading day. If the net asset value exceeds the market price of Fund shares at such time, participants in the Plan will be deemed to have elected to receive shares of stock from the Fund, valued at market price on the valuation date. If the Fund should declare a dividend or capital gains distribution payable only in cash, the Plan Agent as agent for the participants, will buy Fund shares in the open market, on the New York Stock Exchange or elsewhere, with the cash in respect of such dividend or distribution, for the participants' account on, or shortly after, the payment date.
Participants in the Plan have the option of making additional cash payments to the Plan Agent, annually, in any amount from U.S. $100 to U.S. $3,000, for investment in the Fund's common stock. The Plan Agent will use all funds received from participants (as well as any dividends and capital gain distributions received in cash) to purchase Fund shares in the open market on or about January 15 of each year. Any voluntary cash payments received more than thirty days prior to such date will be returned by the Plan Agent, and interest will not be paid on any uninvested cash payments. To avoid unnecessary cash accumulations and to allow ample time for receipt and processing by the Plan Agent, it is suggested that the participants send in voluntary cash payments to be received by the Plan Agent approximately ten days before January 15. A participant may withdraw a voluntary cash payment by written notice, if the notice is received by the Plan Agent not less than forty-eight hours before such payment is to be invested.
The Plan Agent maintains all shareholder accounts in the Plan and furnishes written confirmations of all transactions in the account, including information needed by shareholders for personal and U.S. Federal tax records. Shares in the account of each Plan participant will be held by the Plan Agent in non-certificated form in the name of the participant, and each shareholder's proxy will include those shares purchased pursuant to the Plan.
In the case of shareholders such as banks, brokers or nominees who hold shares for beneficial owners, the Plan Agent will administer the Plan on the basis of the number of shares certified from time to time by the shareholder as representing the total amount registered in the shareholder's name and held for the account of beneficial owners who are participating in the Plan.
There is no charge to participants for reinvesting dividends or capital gains distributions. The Plan Agent's fee for the handling of the reinvestment of dividends and distributions will be paid by the Fund. However, each participant's account will be charged a pro rata share of brokerage commissions incurred with respect to the Plan Agent's open market purchases in connection with the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. A participant will also pay brokerage commissions incurred in purchases in connection with the reinvestment of dividends or capital gains distributions. A participant will also pay brokerage commissions incurred in purchases from voluntary cash payments made by the participant. Brokerage charges for purchasing small amounts of stock of individual accounts through the Plan are expected to be less than the usual brokerage charges for such transactions, because the Plan Agent will be purchasing stock for all participants in blocks and prorating the lower commission thus attainable.
The automatic reinvestment of dividends and distributions will not relieve participants of any U.S. Federal income tax which may be payable on such dividends or distributions.
Experience under the Plan may indicate that changes are desirable. Accordingly, the Fund reserves the right to amend or terminate the Plan as applied to any voluntary cash payment made and any dividend or distribution paid subsequent to notice of the change sent to all shareholders at least ninety days before the record date for such dividend or distribution. The Plan also may be amended or terminated by the Plan Agent with at least ninety days written notice to all shareholders.
All correspondence concerning the Plan should be directed to the Plan Agent for The New Ireland Fund, Inc. in care of American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, 40 Wall Street, New York, New York, 10005, telephone number (718) 921-8283.
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Copyright 2001. The New Ireland Fund. All Rights Reserved.
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