The Margin had some sympathy with the chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, Dermot Quigley, this week when he attempted to put the high number of non-resident accounts in the State's financial system into context.

He told the Dail Committee of Public Accounts that the large number of foreign companies setting up here is one reason behind it. However, he could not explain why the town of Tralee had such a high number of non-resident accounts in the early 1990s.

One of the committees members, Deputy Sean Doherty from Fianna Fail had no problem putting the 14,251 non-resident accounts in Tralee into context. "That is a very large number indeed, sure that's two quotas," said the colourful TD for Longford Roscommon.