"I've just had a thought. If Ireland takes English money maybe we should station a few black and tans in Dublin Castle to make sure they send it wisely. "
You've just squared you circle of logic Richard - you appear to be still fighting the Irish War of Independance.
McGrath is right, anybody who thinks of foreign aid as an act of altruism should seek out the excellent (probably long out-of-print) 'Aid As Imperialism' by Teresa Hayter (daughter of one-time Conservative minister).
Aid is a way of maintaining a political and economic foothold in countries which might otherwise take their business and support elsewhere, it is an act of investment rather than charity, a fact that continues to keep the 'Great' in Britain.
Jim Carroll