No special deal for illegal Irish, says US ambassador

THERE will be no special deal for the illegal Irish in America, the new US ambassador to Ireland has said.

Daniel M Rooney, who presented his credentials to President Mary McAleese at a ceremony in Áras an Uachtaráin yesterday, said the Obama administration could not give one country more favourable treatment than another.

Instead, the administration would push ahead with efforts to pass legislation offering a path to all illegal immigrants to become legal, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers American Football team said.