Ireland’s youth detention centre had its kitchens shut down after a major infestation of rats and mice was discovered.
The National Standards Authority of Ireland suspended certification for the catering department at the Oberstown campus in North Co Dublin after evidence of rodent activity was discovered during an audit.
Records show that the facility had struggled with major pest control issues involving rats, mice, insects and diseased rabbits on the campus for at least two years prior to the suspension.
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Rodent activity was confirmed by pest controllers in “all attic areas and boiler rooms” as early as February 2020, with eight mouse carcasses removed from a single loft during one inspection.
Staff reported mice “running around” in October 2020, while one worker complained that they found rodent faeces on a kitchen worktop. Several dead and “diseased” rabbits were found in 2020, while rats are thought to have entered the main kitchen via an internal drain.
Two days before the NSAI audit last February a pest controller noted that “a rat ran in front of us” as he walked into the kitchen with the facility’s catering and supplies manager.
A CCTV investigation of drains on the campus this march found evidence of rodents nesting before proofing measures were carried out. The catering department’s NSAI certification was subsequently restored.
A spokeswoman for the centre said the campus “identified an issue with vermin in February and worked quickly with external contractors to ensure this was dealt with efficiently and effectively”.
Current residents of the detention facility near Lusk, Co Dublin, include Ana Kriegel killers “Boy A” and “Boy B”.
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