Rise in closures over food safety concerns

THE ELY wine bar off Dublin’s Merrion Row and a premises in the Powerscourt Centre were among those served with closure orders because of food safety concerns last month.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has expressed concern at the very high number of orders issued in September.

Nine enforcement orders were served in all. Closure and prohibition orders were served on the Ely wine bar on September 17th.

A closure order is served where it is deemed that there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health while a prohibition order bans the sale of a product, either temporarily or permanently if health inspectors believe its sale may involve a serious risk to public health.

In a statement the wine bar said the health inspector had detected a pest control problem in the outside cellar but it had been resolved quickly and everything was back to normal. It said the outside storage area in question was used to hold cases of wine and empty bottles.

“No interior space within the restaurant was affected by these orders and therefore trade continued as normal.”

The area was professionally treated three times and the order was lifted on September 22nd.

“ . . . Ely wine bar has always had a pest control contractor as required by legislation, and due to the practicality of operating in Georgian Dublin. It is suspected that the heavy levels of rainfall and road maintenance works on Ely Place led to damage to the boundary wall of the under street storage area. This was remedied immediately,” the statement said.

The Spy/Wax nightclub in the Powerscourt Centre off Grafton Street was also ordered to close in September. The closure order was lifted on part of the premises after six days but a second closure order on the basement and stores has not yet been lifted, according to the FSAI.

This was the sixth enforcement order issued against a premises in the Powerscourt Centre in the past year. The centre did not respond to requests for a comment yesterday on the series of orders.

Closure orders were also served on China Garden takeaway in Balbriggan, Five Alley bar and restaurant near Nenagh, Fortune Star House takeaway in Tramore and a storage area in Mullally’s grocery shop in Roscrea.

FSAI chief executive Dr John O’Brien said it was the responsibility of businesses to “to adhere to best practice set down in law or there will be consequences such as enforcement orders.

“Our main priority is the safety of the consumer in relation to food, and the food they purchase must be produced to the highest standards attainable.”