The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) today reported that Environmental Health Officers in the Health Service Executive (HSE) served eleven Closure Orders and two Prohibition Orders on food businesses during the month of October for breaches of food safety legislation, pursuant to the FSAI Act, 1998 and the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020.
Eight Closure Orders were served under the FSAI Act, 1998 on:
The Crescent Stores(Closed areas: 1. Storeroom 1st floor; 2. Adjoining corridor area)(Retailer), 1 Thomas Street, Clonmel, Co. Tipperary Corrib Oil Spar Express, Castlerea (Retailer), Patrick Street, Castlerea, Roscommon West Wing Restaurant, N17 Business Park, Galway Road, Tuam, Galway Kimchi Hop House(Restaurant/ Café), 160 – 161 Parnell Street, Dublin 1 Base Wood Fired Pizza(under appeal) (Restaurant/Café), Unit 1, Aldi Centre, Mill Road, Killincarrig, Greystones, Wicklow. Camile Thai(Service Sector), 5 Dolphin’s Barn Street, Dolphin’s Barn, Dublin 8 TOP 3 CHINESE (Restaurant/ Café), 2 Lower Kilmacud Road, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin The premises occupied by The Lunch Bag Unlimited Company, at Killester, Raheny, Clontarf Educate Together National School(Service Sector), Collins Avenue East, Clontarf West, Dublin 5
Three Closure Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:
Diamond Pizza (Restaurant/Café),163 Drumcondra Road Lower, Drumcondra, Dublin 9 Nua Bia (Service Sector), Poppintree Sports Centre, Balbutcher Lane, Poppintree, Ballymun, Dublin 11 Cellar 22 and Floritz(Closed activities: the activity of vacuum packing ready-to-eat foods in the raw-designated vacuum packing machine and the preparing and serving of raw beef for direct consumption, namely beef tartare must cease immediately)(Restaurant Café), 22 Saint Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2
Two Prohibition Orders were served under the European Union (Official Controls in Relation to Food Legislation) Regulations, 2020 on:
Foodliner Supermarket(Butcher Shop), Main St, Ballaghaderreen, Roscommon Lucaci Fast Travel(Retailer), Unit 3, Lagan Road, Cabra East, Dublin 11
Some of the reasons for the Enforcement Orders in October include: evidence of rodent activity in food handling and storage areas, with rat droppings found in a kitchen and cleaning equipment store, a dead rat discovered under a dishwasher, and mice droppings observed inside presses and drawers storing opened and prepacked foodstuffs, as well as utensils; inadequate pest proofing and a failure to clean and disinfect the premises following the discovery of rodent activity in areas where food and food contact materials were stored; sightings of mice near a delicatessen counter; food handling staff not trained or supervised to an appropriate level; insufficient evidence of an effective food safety management system based on HACCP principles; inadequate procedures for the safe thawing of foodstuffs; a lack of basic cleaning and disinfection of food preparation surfaces and equipment; mould growth and dirt accumulation behind kitchen chill units; the absence of hot water, hand soap and paper towels at wash hand basins; defective drainage systems where grease traps and waste pipes were discharging into open containers and food placed on the market not properly labelled or traceable through appropriate documentation.
Mr Greg Dempsey, Chief Executive, FSAI, said “October’s Enforcement Orders once again highlight the importance of maintaining strong food safety and hygiene practices across all food businesses. Issues such as inadequate pest control, poor cleaning standards and unsafe food storage continue to be the main reasons for enforcement action. These are entirely preventable non-compliances when proper food safety management systems are in place. While the majority of food businesses take their legal responsibilities very seriously, we continue to see a small number of businesses subject to enforcement action, including closure, due to their non-compliances with basic food safety standards.”
“With the busy Christmas period fast approaching, we are reminding food businesses to start preparing now so that they have robust food safety procedures in place to deal with increased demands and pressures on their business. Food safety must always be their top priority,” added Mr Dempsey.
Details of the food businesses served with Enforcement Orders are published on the FSAI’s website. Closure Orders and Improvement Orders will remain listed in the enforcement reports on the website for a period of three months from the date of when a premises is adjudged to have corrected its food safety issue, with Prohibition Orders being listed for a period of one month.
Why An Electric Soup Maker Might Be The Smartest Buy This Black Friday.
The Kitchen Essential You’ll Want Before Black Friday: Why an Electric Soup Maker Is Worth Its Weight in Gold.
As the darker evenings draw in and the chill of winter settles over Tipperary, few things rival the comfort of a steaming bowl of homemade soup. It’s nourishing, cost-effective, and one of the simplest ways to ensure your five-a-day. Yet many households still rely on pre-prepared supermarket soups, often costing around €2.40 for just two portions, a habit that quickly adds up.
That’s where a good soup maker proves its worth[View Here]. Compact, efficient, and easy to use, a 1,600 ml model will quickly pay for itself, while helping households cut food waste and embrace healthier eating. With the right ingredients on hand, you can prepare delicious, nutritious soups in under half an hour; ideal for busy families or anyone looking for warmth and real sustenance during the winter months. With its fully sealed design, you’ll have it sparkling clean in seconds; just run it under tap water then dry and it’s ready to go!
Black Friday Bargains on the Horizon If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your kitchen gear, there’s good news. Black Friday, one of the biggest retail events of the year, takes place this year on Friday, November 28th, followed by Cyber Monday on December 1st.
While it’s not a public holiday in Ireland, the shopping event has grown enormously in recent years, with retailers offering discounts both in-store and online; often across the entire weekend. From electronics to homeware and kitchen gadgets, there’s no better time to pick up a few practical bargains that will see you through the winter season.
A soup maker, in particular, is one investment that will pay dividends long after the Black Friday sales are over. Not only does it make healthy eating easy, but it also delivers that simple satisfaction of homemade food, rich in flavour and free from those unnecessary perservatives/additives.
A Simple, Delicious Winter Soup: To show just how easy it can be, here’s a tried-and-tested recipe that serves six generous portions at a total cost of about €2.00, proof that real healthy eating for a family doesn’t have to be expensive.
Ingredients: 3 sticks celery. 4 carrots. 1 small parsnip. 1 medium onion. 1 medium potato. 3 pieces broccoli. 2 Knorr stock cubes. 800–900 ml boiling water. Salt and black pepper to taste. Adding a dash of turmeric is optional
Method: Slice all the vegetables into small pieces and place them into your 1,600 ml soup maker. Add the boiling water, stock cubes, seasoning, and turmeric (if using). Secure the lid into place and select your smooth-soup setting on the lid. About 21 minutes later, your delicious, piping-hot soup will be ready to serve, with the machine having done all the work including telling you it is ready and switching itself off.
Tip: Always follow the machine’s instructions regarding the ‘MAX’ fill marker, overfilling can affect performance.
A Feast Fit for Royalty Enjoy your fresh, homemade soup with a slice (or two) of fresh brown bread available fresh from Townhouse Deli on Slievenamon Road, Thurles, and your simple meal transforms into a feast fit for royalty. The deli’s warm, crusty loaves baked fresh daily, perfectly complement a hearty winter soup, bringing comfort and local flavour to the table.
The Smart Seasonal Investment Whether you’re cooking for one or feeding a family, a soup maker is one of the most practical, and rewarding, kitchen gadgets you can own. With Black Friday on the horizon, it’s well worth keeping an eye out for discounts. You’ll be saving money, eating better, and keeping warm all winter long, one bowl at a time.
Let’s start with the need and wisdom of shopping around to reduce the cost of living.
Shoppers in Thurles are noticing striking price differences between local supermarket products. A local check in Thurles this week found that an 18-can slab of 7UP Zero was priced at €8.99 in Aldi: – €9.00 in Dunnes Stores: – €11.00 in Tesco: – €11.99 in Lidl: and €14.00 in SuperValu, demonstrating a spread that boldly underscores the point I am about to make and provides proof (as if proof was needed) that it pays to shop around and forget about loyalty.
Locked-In Loyalty – Why Staying with the same Provider is a costly mistake.
Households today are under pressure from multiple fronts, stagnant wages, rising rents, an inflationary drift in everyday goods purchased. In that context, taking time to compare providers for utilities, insurance, broadband or mobile and food is no longer a luxury; it’s a survival tactic. Because when you’re already squeezed, paying above-market rates for services and products you cannot do without, feels less like choice and more like injustice.
The smart consumer doesn’t just accept the default: they should demand value, they should compare, they should switch and not out of triviality, but out of necessity.
Moreover, competition only works if consumers engage: if everyone stays loyal out of inertia, then suppliers have no incentive to drive down costs or improve service. So shopping around is not merely savvy, it’s a civic duty in a market where you’re obliged to pay, but you still deserve fairness.
The Elephants In The Room: Now let’s address the elephants in the room: the cost of essential services in Ireland, particularly electricity and internet, is woefully high and increasingly indefensible. The internet provider Vodafone is down in Thurles yet again this morning, leaving people working from home without a service. Regardless they will still send the same monthly bill at the end of this month and expect people to pay. Over the past 12 month the Vodafone service failed over 34 times; on one occasion last August for a period of 3 consecutive days. It is easier to ride a camel through the eye of a needle, than to complain to the commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg). Why they still continue to exist, few people understand. When it comes to internet access, Irish consumers got 39% less value for their internet compared to UK users, and is placed only 22nd among European countries. Put simply: one of your most basic bills is much higher here than most of our European neighbours; this isn’t an incidental detail; it’s a structural cost burden.
Household electricity prices in Ireland were measured at €0.3736 per kWh in the first half of 2024, the highest in the EU for Irish households. In effect, Irish households are paying €350-plus annually, more for electricity than is the EU average.
What is especially galling is that when something is labelled “essential” it really ought to be priced in a way that doesn’t punish people just for being connected or powered. The fact that despite high VAT, network/levy costs, infrastructure investment and other “legitimate” components, the final bills remain so elevated it suggests a failure somewhere, either in regulation, competition, or both.
In short:shopping-around is vital; but it also shouldn’t be the only defensive mechanism. The system should not rely solely on consumers being alert and mobile. When essential services carry a premium burden, it erodes disposable income, squeezes savings, and perpetuates inequality.
Where to Find the Cheapest Bills in Ireland.
How to shop smart and cut your household costs. Irish households continue to face some of the highest utility costs in Europe. Here’s how and where to compare providers for cheaper electricity, broadband, insurance, and more.
The Invisible Tax : How Irish Households Fund High Utility Costs Rising Costs, Shrinking Choices: With electricity, broadband and insurance prices ranked among the highest in Europe, Irish households are paying a heavy premium for essentials. The truth is that loyalty rarely pays, and staying with the same provider year after year can cost you hundreds of euros more than is necessary. Fortunately, there are independent tools that make comparing and switching simple. Spending just an hour reviewing your main bills once a year can make a real difference to your budget.
Shop Around or Pay the Price: How to Fight Back Against Sky-High Utility Costs.
Electricity & Gas: Bonkers.ie : – the most comprehensive comparison site for Irish consumers. It lists every licensed energy supplier, breaks down standing charges and tariffs, and estimates your annual savings. Switcher.ie : – a clear, easy-to-use alternative, often with cashback offers for new customers. CRU.ie : – the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. It doesn’t compare prices, but it regulates the market and ensures the above sites remain impartial – supposedly. Tip:Watch out for 12-month “introductory rates”. Once they expire, prices jump sharply, so set a reminder to review before renewal.
Insurance Chill.ie : – compare car, home and travel insurance in one place. CompareInsuranceIreland.ie : — independent comparisons that include smaller providers.
Note: Sometimes it pays to check insurers directly; Aviva, Allianz, AXA, or 123.ie can offer better rates to new customers than through a website or program that collects related items of content and displays them or links to them, (known as aggregators). Tip: Neveraccept automatic renewals. The biggest insurance savings go to switchers, not loyal customers.
Banking & Mortgages. CCPC Money Tools : – the official comparison hub from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. It covers current accounts, credit cards, personal loans, and mortgage rates. Tip: If you took out a mortgage more than three years ago, check your rate. Switching lenders can save thousands over the lifetime of your loan.
Final Word – Financial Self-defence and Resistance. Ireland’s high cost of living is not likely to drop overnight, but smart shopping can make it more manageable. Reviewing your main bills; for energy, broadband, and insurance, once a year is a simple act of financial self-defence. In a system where essential services cost more than they should, comparison isn’t just wise; it’s a quiet form of resistance.
IFA calls for housing order to protect poultry as avian flu confirmed in Co Carlow.
The Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) has called for the introduction of a housing order requiring free-range poultry farmers to keep their birds indoors, as authorities confirm an outbreak of avian flu in a commercial turkey flock in Co Carlow, a county bordering on Co. Tipperary.
The virus, which causes the disease, is known as HPAI H5N1 and has been in circulation among wild birds over the past year.
Mr Nigel Sweetnam, Chair of the IFA National Poultry Committee, said the measure is urgently needed to help contain the spread of the highly contagious disease and safeguard farmers’ livelihoods. He urged all poultry farmers to be on high alert and to contact their vet and the Department of Agriculture, immediately, if they suspect any signs of avian flu.
Mr Sweetnam said farmers should watch for indicators such as high mortality and lethargic birds, and highlighted the importance of establishing exclusion zones around affected farms where movement of birds in and out is tightly controlled under veterinary supervision.
With the whole pattern of bird flu changing/mutating; the virus has appeared earlier than usual this year and in different geographical areas, with two outbreaks in Co. Cork.
Mr Sweetnam believes that a housing order should be comparable to restrictions in place during the Covid-19 pandemic, thus limiting movement and requiring birds to be kept indoors. The IFA continues to engage with the Department of Agriculture on measures to contain the outbreak and protect Ireland’s poultry sector. The Department is reminding all flock owners to maintain the highest standards of biosecurity, including disinfecting footwear and equipment, restricting visitors, and preventing contact between domestic poultry and wild birds.
FSAI recall specific batches of some Templetuohy Farm Fresh Foods chicken products, due to the possible presence of Salmonella.
Alert Summary dated Monday, November 3rd 2025
Category 1: For Action Alert Notification: 2025.59 Product Identification: Please see table below for product details. Batch Code: Use by date: 06/10/2025
Message: The below batches of Templetuohy Farm Fresh Foods chicken products are being recalled due to the possible presence of Salmonella. Although these batches are past their use by date, they are suitable for home freezing. Consumers are advised to check their freezers for the implicated batches. Recall notices will be displayed at point-of-sale.
Nature Of Danger: People infected with Salmonella typically develop symptoms between 12 and 36 hours after infection, but this can range between 6 and 72 hours. The most common symptom is diarrhoea, which can sometimes be bloody. Other symptoms may include fever, headache and abdominal cramps. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days. Diarrhoea can occasionally be severe enough to require hospital admission. The elderly, infants, and those with impaired immune systems are more likely to have a severe illness.
Action Required:Manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, caterers & retailers: Retailers: Same are requested to remove the implicated batches from sale and display recall notices at point-of-sale. Consumers: Consumers are advised not to eat the implicated batches.
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