Google Ireland said it paid €28.6m in Corporation Tax here last year, on a turnover of €18.3 billion.

The amount of tax paid was up by €900,000 compared to 2013, while turnover was up 8% from €17 billion the previous year.

The technology giant booked a profit after tax of €167.9m in 2014, up 9% compared to the previous year.

The company said the extra turnover was mostly driven by a growth in advertising revenue.

The figures are contained in the company's annual financial statements for 2014 which have just been filed at the Companies Registration Office.

The firm's cost of sales increased from €5.1 billion in 2013 to €5.6 billion last year.

Much of these costs were paid to a network of third party companies using Google's products and its partners under revenue share arrangements in the advertising business.

During the period the company invested €73.9m in research, development and engineering here.

In April, Google also bought the Grand Mill Quay building on Barrow Street for €65.1m and the Dock Mill Building on Barrow Street for €13.9m.

The company said the number of staff directly employed at its Irish operations rose to 2,763, up 17% on the previous year. But when contract staff are included, the number of employees rises to 5,000.

Google said it has invested more than €500m in capital assets here.