DUBLIN, Sept 2 (Reuters) - Ireland collected 5.4% more tax than expected during the first eight months of the year, the finance ministry said on Thursday as the country prepared to remove the last of its COVID-19 restrictions. Tax revenues have been far more resilient than expected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly due to strong income and corporate tax. On a 12-month rolling basis, Ireland’s exchequer recorded a deficit of 9.54 billion euros in the year to the end of August. (Reporting by Conor Humphries; Editing by Alison Williams) Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.