Dublin City Council paid barristers more than €1.5 million last year.

It brings the local authority's legal fees in 2019 to more than €3m.

Last month, it emerged Dublin City Council paid solicitors nearly €1.5 million last year.

And new figures, released to Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act, show the local authority's bill for barristers was almost identical.

A total of 30 barristers were paid €1,513,000 during the year.

The highest-paid was junior counsel John Doherty, who got €372,000.

Meanwhile, Conleth Bradley, another junior counsel, was paid €215,000 by the council.

Three others received more than €100,000.

Independent councillor Anthony Flynn says the total bill seems excessive.

“I think what we are doing is we are using money willy-nilly in terms of how we are spending right across the board from Dublin City Council’s point of view,” he said.

“We have an in-house legal team and we don’t seem to be utilising that department to its full extent and we are paying excessive fees to private solicitors and private barristers.

“It is work that should be done in-house.”

The average payment the council made to the 30 barristers last year was a little over €50,000.