Food Safety

Prison services warned to deal with cockroach infestation threat in Mountjoy kitchen

HSE’s environmental service has sent a letter calling for action to be taken on a number of hygiene issues

Mountjoy is the largest prison in the state with capacity for 755 inmates. But it is severely overcrowded at the moment due to the surge in the overall prison population, with around 85 prisoners sleeping on mattresses

The Irish Prison Service has been warned to deal with the threat from cockroaches in the Mountjoy prison kitchen.

Environmental health inspectors from the HSE uncovered several instances of non-compliance during their food safety inspection of the main kitchen in Mountjoy prison last month.

They expressed concern about food storage, the level of cleaning and hygiene and the “recent cockroach activity” in the kitchen.

The inspectors have told the prison authorities that cockroach traps have ...