RTE interview: RTÉ was barred from questioning Mr Bush on Michael Moore's anti-Bush film Fahrenheit 9/11 in Thursday night's Prime Time interview, it was revealed yesterday.
The film was one of two topics on which discussion was prohibited by the White House, the other being the President's daughters.
It has also emerged that RTÉ gave Mr Bush a list of questions to be asked by its Washington correspondent, Carol Coleman, in advance of the interview.
An RTÉ spokeswoman said this was in accordance with standard White House policy.
The spokeswoman said no negative comment had been relayed to it by the White House following the interview, in which Mr Bush had criticised Ms Coleman over her manner of questioning.
On several occasions Mr Bush told the reporter to stop interrupting him.
"You ask the questions and I'll answer them, if you don't mind," he said.
The RTÉ spokeswoman said the President had been "very gracious" after the interview, staying on to pose for a photograph with Ms Coleman at the reporter's request.
Meanwhile, RTÉ said an interview which it had hoped to conduct with First Lady Laura Bush would not take place this morning.
The spokeswoman said no formal arrangements had been made for the interview, and the fact that it had not transpired in no way related to any fall-out from Thursday's Prime Time interview.