McDonald’s sales rise

McDONALD’s Restaurants Ireland cut 343 people from its workforce as sales remained static at E68.7 million, the latest set of accounts show.

The company operates the food giant's Irish franchise . Accounts for the year ending December 2002 show sales for the year grew slightly to E68.7m from E68.6m when the outbreak of foot and mouth had a negative impact on the sale of beef products.

Pre-tax profits fell in 2002 to E6.7m from E6.9m a year earlier.