South Dublin café closed due to rodent infestation

A café in Cornelscourt in south Dublin was among 13 food premises issued with closure orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) in the month of September.

Café Sol, which is located in Dunnes Stores at the Cornelscourt Shopping Centre, was found to have multiple instances of evidence of rodent droppings present in the premises along with a "gnawed chocolate bar" in the food storage room.

The FSAI deemed that a grave and immediate danger to food safety existed in the food premises due to the rodent infestation and thus issued the closure order.

Two food businesses in Monkstown in south Dublin were also issued with closure orders.

That's Amore on the Monkstown Road was found to have rodent droppings present on the floor under the pizza oven in the pizza station as well as rodent droppings in front of a drinks fridge.

Also in Monkstown, Osteria 99 Italian Cuisine was issued with a closure order due to rodent droppings in multiple locations including on shelving adjacent to a meat slicer in the kitchen.

Elsewhere, a dead bird was found at the premises of Kimex Ireland Limited in Inchicore in Dublin along with bird faeces and a large number of mouse droppings.

A total of nine closure orders were served under the FSAI Act with an additional four closure orders served under EU food regulations on the following premises:

• Glens Takeaway and Diner, Cappaughna, Glengarriff, Cork
• Grace’s Garden (Service Sector), Dublin Road, Shankhill, Co Dublin
• Koffee and Kale (Restaurant/Café), 21B Hill Street, Dublin 1
• Spar (Closed area: Deli area only), Unit 3, 111 Reubens Square, Dolphins Barn, Dublin 8
• Kimex Ireland Limited (Small Meat Manufacturing Plant), Unit 7, Golden Bridge Industrial Estate, Tyrconnell Road, Inchicore, Dublin 8
• Osteria 99 Italian Cuisine (Restaurant/Café), 1st Floor, 99 Monkstown Road, Monkstown, Co Dublin
• Polonez (Retailer), Unit 4, Walkinstown Retail Centre, Walkinstown Avenue, Walkinstown, Dublin 12.
• Café Sol, Cornelscourt Shopping Centre, Foxrock, Dublin 18
• That's Amore (Restaurant/Café), 107 Monkstown Road, Monkstown, Co Dublin
• Antonio's (Take Away), 61a Ballybough Road, Dublin 3
• Red Robin Takeaway, River Street, Killenaule, Tipperary
• The Lord Lucan Pub, Finnstown Shopping Centre, Lock Road, Lucan, Co Dublin
• Coolmine Shawarma & Grilled (Closed activity: Storage, preparation, handling and cooking of raw meat at the premises) (Take Away), Unit 40B, Coolmine Industrial Estate, Porters Road, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15

FSAI Chief Executive Pamela Byrne said that food businesses must ensure that their premises are fully pest proofed.

"The number of Closure Orders served in September which listed evidence of widespread rodent or cockroach activity along with a lack of pest proofing, is very concerning. Pests can transmit very harmful pathogens to food, food surfaces and equipment and this presents a grave and immediate danger to public health.

"Every food business must ensure that they have a robust pest control system in place and that the system is checked regularly. It is crucial that swift and effective action is taken at the first sign of an infestation."

"Consumers have an absolute right to expect safe food."

The FSAI also noted a prosecution taken by the HSE in relation to Cork Oriental Supermarket on Dalton's Avenue in Cork.

The premises was issued with fines of €3,000 and €4,000 in connection with legislation contravened in 2023.