A number of small protests against the latest payment to unsecured bondholders were taking place today.

AIB today confirmed the €1 billion bond payment, which is not covered under the Irish guarantee.

The repayment will bring to more than €18 billion the amount that banks have repaid to bondholders this year.

Sinn Fein staged a protest outside AIB's branch on O'Connell Street, while the Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes demonstrated outside AIB's headquarters in Ballsbridge. A number of Occupy Dame Street supporters occupied AIB on Grafton Street this afternoon.

The payment of a €1 billion unguaranteed and unsecured bond is yet further evidence of the Government?s failure to deal with the debt crisis, Sinn Fein finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said today.

The Government should have put a plan in place months ago to deal with these bonds, signalling well in advance the state?s inability to pay, Mr Doherty said. ?This is not public debt. It should not be paid with public money. The Government must change course and adopt a new approach.?