Sick and starving children should be wary of Bertie’s latest aid pledge

KOFI ANNAN must have had a feeling of déja vu in the UN building on Wednesday night when Taoiseach Bertie Ahern pledged to meet the target for overseas aid.

For the second time he solemnly pledged that Ireland would reach the target of 0.7% of GNP, so the UN secretary general could be forgiven for taking it with a pinch of salt.

The first time it was promised, Ireland was lobbying for a seat on the security council, which we got with the help of our African friends.