JACKIE HEALY-RAE has said today that he is “not interested” in the allegations made in today’s Irish Independent that he made secret deals with former Taoisigh Brian Cowen and Bertie Ahern.

The paper reported today that the former Kerry South independent TD Healy-Rae struck deals where he was given three positions on state boards to hand out to supporters in return for backing the last coalition government.

When contacted by TheJournal.ie Healy-Rae said he had no comment to make on the story but added:

The paper I get every day is the Irish Examiner and whatever is in that I read and what is not in it I don’t.

I have never got the Independent in my life.

I cant comment on allegations that I haven’t seen.

When pressed on the matter of his son Michael Healy-Rae, who has taken his father’s Dáil seat in Kerry South, being appointed to the Citizens Information Board Healy Rae said he “didn’t have a clue” what his son was on.

The newspaper also alleges a similar deal was in place for independent TD Michael Lowry who could not be reached for comment by TheJournal.ie this afternoon.