Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the existing contract and arrangement subsists until 2016. The existing owners of Whitegate have indicated that they are in the market to dispose of the facility. I met the American senior officials prior to Christmas, who informed me they have not yet secured a buyer. It is not for me to make judgments in regard to whether a buyer will be secured but my impression is that the facility will continue as is and that the challenge to Government and the industry is to deal with the impending 2016 situation.

The refining sector generally in Europe is in contraction. Oil refineries are being closed on a consistent basis. We commissioned a consultancy report approximately a year ago in relation to the then lie of land and how to proceed into the future. That consultancy report is now available on the Department's website. The Deputy might want to have a look at it in terms of its recommendations. I met the group of unions at Whitegate last week and, as stated, I met with officials from the company prior to Christmas. The position of the Irish Government, given we are an island nation, is that we would be more comfortable with the facility continuing as is for obvious reasons, not least the fact that there are people employed there and making a valuable contribution. We do not have an indication this far out in regard to what will happen post-2016. The view has always been that if there is a threat to the future of Whitegate continuing as a refinery, it would be maintained as a storage facility. However, that would not be good news for the people employed there. We still have a long way to go. I set out the detail of this in my meeting with the unions last week.