Four food businesses were closed for safety breaches last month, the Food Safety Authority (FSA) said today.
Closure orders were served on the Irish-Indian Take Away, New Street, Ballaghaderreen, Co Roscommon, the Jade Garden restaurant, Meeting House Street, Raphoe, Lifford, Co Donegal, Nite Bites, Main Street, Doneraile, Co Cork and on the kitchen, night club area, including bars, dance floor and all storage areas of The Boot Inn, Cloghran, Co Dublin.
The final order did not affect the public bar and lounge in respect of normal pub business.
Closure orders are served when it is deemed, upon inspection, that there is, or there is likely to be, a grave and immediate danger to public health at or in the premises. FSA chief Dr John O'Brien said: "All food businesses must implement a food safety management system, it is part of their legal obligation.
Enforcement officers only resort to serving closure orders on a food business when standards have fallen very low and the public's health has been put at risk.
"In order to maintain consumer confidence in the food sector, the onus is firmly on the food industry to ensure it is adhering to best practice in producing food," he said.