(ShareCast News) - Barclays Bank has agreed to sell its Irish insurance businesses to Monument Re for an undisclosed sum.The businesses - Barclays Insurance (Dublin) Designated Activity Company and Barclays Assurance (Dublin) Designated Activity Company - provide underwriting services for payment protection insurance and income protection policies, which the bank stopped selling between 2010 and 2012.The sale, which includes the portfolio of around 500,000 remaining policies and related licences, is expected to close in the first quarter of next year.Harry Harrison, head of Barclays Non-Core, said: "This sale marks another step forward for Barclays Non-Core as we continue to manage down costs and risk-weighted assets, and simplify the activities of the group more broadly."We are confident that our colleagues in these businesses will have a positive future with Monument and we thank them for their hard work and support over many years."At 1140 GMT, Barclays shares were down 1% to 183.32p.