Dublin crèche given closure order over rodent infestation

A Giraffe childcare facility in Dublin 4 was served with a closure order last month due to “a grave and immediate danger to food safety” due to “a heavy and widespread rodent infestation”.

A rodent dropping was found in a children’s dining area at Giraffe Childcare, Elm Park, Merrion Road where food was being consumed by children at the time of the inspection.

The inspection report found a dead mouse carcass under a sink unit and another one in a children’s toilet adjacent to a dining area.

The report was compiled by an Environmental Health Officer for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).

A total of seven Enforcement Orders were served on businesses for breaches of food safety legislation in June according to the FSAI.

Raw meat packaging used to store cooked chicken pieces and flies walking on cooked chicken were some of the reasons given for enforcement orders.

Other reasons included: evidence of rat infestation; inadequate pest proofing; a dead rodent under pallets on the shop floor; raw meat packaging used to store cooked chicken pieces and mould on walls and ceilings.

One order related to food prepared and handled in a kitchen which was subject to a Closure Order.

Another order involved the inability to establish traceability for frozen raw meat while a lack of a food safety culture was cited in a separate order.

Dr Pamela Byrne, Chief Executive, FSAI, said that Consumers have a right to safe food and that that food businesses have an obligation to comply with legislation.

“If anyone experiences unfit food, poor hygiene standards or notices a breach of food law in a food business, we encourage them to contact us,” she said.

“Reporting inappropriate and unsafe food practices provides us with information that we can act upon.”

Dr Byrne said that food safety legislation is put in place to protect the health of consumers and to uphold the standards of the food industry.

“We strongly encourage food business operators to continuously improve their food safety standards via regular training, availing of online resources, as well as promoting a strong culture of food safety within their businesses,” she added.

The orders from the FSAI in June:

Board (Closed area: The Upper storey of the building) (service sector), 29 Clanbrassil Street Upper, Dublin 8;

Mercury Eastern European Food (retailer), Unit 25, Midleton Business Enterprise Park, Dwyer Road, Midleton, Cork;

Giraffe Childcare Limited, Elm Park, Merrion Road, Dublin 4

Chinese Gourmet Restaurant (Closed area: the use of the outdoor timber shed in the back yard of the restaurant for the storage/ handling of any open food or food contact materials), The Square, Oldcastle, Meath

Chrysanthemum (restaurant/café), Unit 1 Old Orchard Inn, Butterfield Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin 14

Johnson Best Food African Take Away, 86 Summerhill, Dublin 1

The Roadhouse (public house), Clongowney, Mullingar, Westmeath