There are times when the Revenue Commissioners must feel that they can never win. Bad enough that, for most of us, they are as welcome as snow in summer. Then they take a bashing at the hands of the DIRT and other inquiries for not doing enough to ensure that everyone pays their due taxes.

Now, having finally got more than £1 million in back taxes and interest out of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey, they are being accused of settling too quickly.

Given that they have already lost once before the revenue appeals commissioner in their battle with Mr Haughey and were facing into a court review of the same issue, which held no guarantees of success, it is difficult to see why they would not accept a sum which gives them almost 87 per cent of the sum they were looking for.

Look at it this way. Had the Revenue gone ahead and lost the court action, can you just imagine the clamouring from people wanting to know why they had recklessly forsaken the chance to get at least some of the money owed by the former Taoiseach.