In an exclusive interview, EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy told Hot Press Senior Editor Jason O'Toole that the decision of the Irish people to reject the Lisbon Treaty has to be respected by the other members of the European Union.

Among a string of controversial comments, he also insisted that there was no provision in EU treaties for 'isolating' any member State and therefore that there was no fear of this happening to Ireland.

The EU Commissioner also described himself as "more pro-choice" on abortion."I always believed people should make their own decisions and live with it," he told Hot Press.

The interview, conducted by Jason O'Toole in Brussels, has been the subject of news stories and other comment in almost all of the major Irish based newspapers, including the Irish Independent, the Irish Star, the Irish Mirror, the Sun, the Irish Mail, the Mail On Sunday and the Irish Times. It was also covered extensively on radio, on the RTE News and TV, including TV3's Political Show.

In the US it was picked up by the influential Wall Street Journal and the Morning Star, while across Europe it has been extensively covered, including on the main news in Denmark, in Das Journal in Austria and Diario Digital in Portugal as well as in France's leading daily, Le Monde.

The interview also includes controversial comments from Commissioner McCreevy on attitude to becoming Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern's finances, the flotation of Eircom and the losses sustained by Irish investors and the demise of the PDs among other key topics.