Premises are told to close because of health dangers

A Wexford pub and a take-away and pub in Co Galway were ordered to close last month because they posed a danger to public health.

The Western Health Board served a closure order on Tony's Tavern in Loughrea on November 15th. The board also served a closure order on Foley's Bistro and Burger Express in Portumna on November 19th.

In Wexford, the South Eastern Health Board ordered the closure of the Sawdust Bar in The Ballagh on November 28th.

The closure order on Tony's Tavern was lifted on November 23rd, but the other closure orders were still in place yesterday.

Closure orders are served when environmental health officers deem there is, or likely to be, "a grave and immediate danger" to public health at the premises.

Offences may include unhygienic conditions, improper storage of food or poor food preparation standards. The premises may be reopened only after environmental health officers judge they no longer pose a threat to public health.

Three improvement orders were also served on food premises last month. The Southern Health Board served an improvement order on the Canton City Chinese restaurant and take-away in Carrigaline, Co Cork, on November 6th. The China-Link take-away in Swords, Dublin, was issued with an improvement order on November 7th by the Northern Area Health Board, which also served an improvement order on San Lorenzo cafe in Marlborough Place, Dublin.

Improvement orders are issued when improvement notices are not complied with. If the improvement order is not complied with, a closure order may be served.

So far this year, enforcement officers have served 32 closure orders, 18 improvement orders and eight prohibition orders on food businesses around the State.

Dr Patrick Wall, Food Safety Authority chief executive, said enforcement powers were used as a last resort because of non-compliance. "They are not used for minor infringements and standards have fallen very low when enforcement officers have to resort to using these powers."

Dr Wall said a small number of food businesses were bringing adverse publicity on the sector. Details of the businesses served with orders are published on the FSAI website at www.fsai.ie