The basement kitchen of the Arlington Hotel on Lord Edward Street, Dublin 2, was one of 12 food businesses in Ireland served with enforcement orders by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) this November.

Two other locations – the Mekong on Swords Road in Santry and Pure Green Juices in the Millennium Business Park in Dublin 15 - were also ordered closed.

Around the country, eight food businesses received closure orders, including Curry Hut, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and Grillish, Nenagh, Co Tipperary.

MJI Meats in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo, was served the only prohibition order in November.

The closure orders were issued by environmental health officers in the Health Service Executive, and the single prohibition order by local authority veterinary inspectors in the Mayo County Council.

“It is particularly important in the lead up to the busy Christmas period that food businesses ensure they can cope safely with the increased volumes of food they may supply,” said Prof Alan Reilly, chief executive of FSAI.

“We are therefore urging businesses to take full advantage of the information and support provided by the inspectorate and the FSAI to ensure that they have the correct food safety management systems in place,” he said.

A closure order is served where it is deemed that there is or there is likely to be a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises, or where an improvement order is not complied with. Closure orders and prohibition orders are served where there is a non-compliance with food legislation.

The closure order served on the Arlington Hotel’s basement kitchen on November 12th was lifted on November 14th. In total, seven of the 12 food businesses had their orders lifted in a week or less after being served.

The complete list of affected establishments is:

Closure orders served on

* Curry Hut, 71 O’Connell Street, Dungarvan, Waterford

* Mr Kebab (rear potato preparation area), Main Street, Kilfinane, Limerick

* The Arlington Hotel (basement kitchen only), 16/18 Lord Edward Street, Dublin 2

* Moneymore (Closed area: the kitchen), Drogheda, Louth

* The Mekong, 307B Swords Road, Santry, Dublin 9

* Turmec Teoranta (food preparation area only), Rathcairn, Athboy, Meath

* The Kitchen Chinese Takeaway, Main Street, Dunleer, Louth

* L&M Store, 71 Anne Street, Dundalk, Louth

* Pure Green Juices, 88, 89 & 122 Millennium Business Park, Dublin 15

* Caoch O’Leary, Ballacolla, Laois

* Grillish, 17 Silver Street, Nenagh, Tipperary

Prohibition order served on

* MJI Meats, Unit 6, Enterprise Centre, Ballyhaunis, Mayo.