Dublin 4 restaurant closed after live mouse found in kitchen

Rodent droppings also found in the Greenery which was deemed to pose immediate danger to public health

A restaurant in Donnybrook, Dublin has been served with a closure order after a live mouse and rodent droppings were discovered in the kitchen.

The Greenery in Dublin 4 was served with a temporary closure order by the Health Service Executive (HSE) in August under the Food Safety Authority of Ireland Act because conditions posed "a grave and immediate danger to public health".

The inspection report found a live mouse and a large amount of rodent droppings in the restaurant’s kitchen. Droppings were also found in shelving where foodstuffs and equipment used to prepare food were stored, in the lids of containers used to store food, behind cooking equipment and underneath the dishwasher.

The Celtic Pure water company, which was served with a partial closure order in August, was also named in the latest list of FSAI closure orders. The Co Monaghan company was ordered to cease production of all spring waters and other waters from a specific well by the HSE. Water from the well was recalled from some of the largest retailers in the State during the summer after tests revealed levels of arsenic above the legal limit. Among the retailers which have used Celtic Pure to bottle and supply their own brand waters are Dunnes, Spar, Lidl, Aldi and Applegreen.

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The High Court last month appointed an interim examiner to Celtic Pure which sought the protection of the court from its creditors due to the fallout from two investigations launched after naturally-occurring arsenic in some of the company’s batches exceeded regulatory limits.

Rust

Four more closure orders were also served in August under the EC (Official Control of Foodstuffs) Regulations including on China City on Thomas Davis Street in Blackpool, Cork where a wok station was found to be full of stagnant water and old food debris while cobwebs and dust were noted on window sills, in the rear storage and cooking area and on shelving. The trolley holding raw chicken had rust on it and the chef was unsure which chemical was needed for sanitising surfaces, according to the inspection. The same containers were used for raw and cooked foods and raw meats were stored next to onions and vegetables, said the report. The order was lifted a few days later.

New Kebabish on South Main Street in Youghal, Co Cork was also served with a temporary closure order after inspectors found the allergen information on the take-away’s menu was incorrect, the chill display unit in the kitchen had a water leak and there was no hot water supply for the staff toilet wash hand basin. Inspectors said New Kebabish was “not being cleaned and disinfected adequately” while a disused oven which was “ingrained with old food and debris and grease” was being used to store ingredients.

The Kilkenny Kebabish take away on Walkin Street in Kilkenny also received a temporary closure order because there was “no effective cleaning programme in place” and no evidence that food workers had been trained in basic food hygiene skills.

The Super Keontes grocery store on Prospect Hill in Galway city was served with a closure order after an inspection found flies throughout the premises, dampness and dirty conditions in the staff toilet, pools of water on the shop’s floor, dirt on the walls and floors and a build up of mould in a fridge.

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak

Sorcha Pollak is an Irish Times reporter and cohost of the In the News podcast