Wow. Did you hear that? Did you read about it? Last week, up in Donegal, a new Ireland was formed. From the imagination of some of the state's leading politicians and thinkers there emerged a picture of a country of which we could all be proud.

At the MacGill Summer School, they outlined the Republic they want to see. And, for the most part, there was no disagreeing with any of the Beautiful Visions. Not only were today's leading politicians in attendance, there were also a few ghosts from bubble years past. Michael McDowell showed up like Brando's Colonel Kurtz emerging from the jungles of Vietnam, intent on wreaking havoc once more. The horror, the horror.

It might reasonably be asked why they all waited until politics closed down for the summer before sharing all these long-held thoughts with us. But, that's politics for you. The aspirational stuff is great sport but has no impact on the real world.

Amidst all the beautiful visions, there was one item that did impinge on the real world of politics. Lucinda Creighton had a pop at the Fine Gael leadership for inviting the Nama-bound developer Michael O'Flynn to a fundraising game of golf. She agonised that her party might become "Fianna Fáil light" (sic).

"We cannot, on the one hand, condemn Fianna Fáil for entertaining developers in the Galway tent, while on the other hand extend the biscuit tin for contributions from high-profile developers who are beholden to Nama."

Oh yes you can. The party's director of elections, Phil Hogan, earlier told MacGill that Fine Gael will oppose plans by the government to introduce legislation limiting or banning corporate donations. He said the party makes no apology and offers no favours in return for accepting corporate money.

These two views from Fine Gael speakers said more about politics as it is now practised than all the beautiful visions put together. Tweedledee is gearing up to take over from Tweedledum. All the guff about new politics is fine and dandy, but when it comes down to brass tacks, it is Fine Gael's turn with the biscuit tin.

The party's current position on corporate donations is a world away from the policy Michael Noonan announced when he became Fine Gael leader in 2001. Noonan banned the acceptance of corporate donations by the party. He thought the mere perception of receiving money from big business was bad for politics. The following year the ban was quietly dropped.

The big difference today is that the current lot are confident of getting into power. In 2001, the situation was desperate and Noonan was trying to do something to appeal to voters, to show that his party would break the ties that bind political parties to big business.

Now that the party is gearing up for power, the money is flowing in. For some strange reason, corporate interests fire far more money at parties in power – and those bound for power – than those in opposition. This is quite amazing in the context that no favours are exchanged, and, we are assured, no opportunities to exert influence on policy are presented to the donors.

The last time Fine Gael was in government, from 1994 to 1997, it reportedly cleared around £3m of a debt. Corporate interests were falling over themselves to contribute to the democratic process by shovelling money at the party in power. For the last 13 years the big winner in scooping money from corporate Ireland – and particularly developers – has been Fianna Fáil. Ain't that a coincidence?

Now the Blueshirts are back in town and no guff about new politics is going to spoil the party.

On 10 July last, Enda Kenny addressed Young Fine Gael on the future. He told the gathering that the party had clean hands when to came to selling influence.

"Today it is Fine Gael that is the true party of the people. Unlike Fianna Fáil, we owe no favours to Big Business… We are beholden to no one except the citizens of this country."

That may well be an accurate assessment, but will it hold in the years to come? If Fianna Fáil owe big business favours, surely Fine Gael will be just as in debt when it accepts the lion's share of the corporate dollar? Or is he seriously inferring that Fine Gael can accept corporate money on a different basis from the other party?

On Thursday, Kenny trooped to Glenties and rejected Creighton's comments.

"The Fine Gael party is absolutely above board in all its financial dealings," he said. No, it isn't. Earlier in the week, the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) reported that the three main parties declared no donations for 2009, a year of European and local elections, and a referendum. All the money they received was below the ludicrous threshold for declarations, of which Sipo is blue in the face protesting about. The laws are designed to ensure that funding is not above board, so we don't know to whom parties may be beholden.

Tweedledee is about to get its turn with the biscuit tin. The link between big business and politics remains, and if you believe that no influence is exercised on policy as a result of this link, then good luck to you.

New politics is great stuff. Beautiful visions should be passed around and lovingly embraced. Meanwhile, back in the real world, the Republic we have is on a different planet from the Republic most people want to see.

mclifford@tribune.ie