Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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612. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the future of the Whitegate oil refinery, County Cork in view of the announcement that it is now for sale; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45244/15]

Alex White (Dublin South, Labour)
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The Whitegate refinery was privatised as a result of its sale by the State in 2001. Under the terms of the sale, the owners are obliged to continue to operate the refinery for a minimum of fifteen years, a commitment which remains in place until July 2016. That commitment is not affected by the planned sale.

The owners of the refinery, Phillips 66, advised my Department in October that they were putting the Whitegate refinery up for sale and indicated their intention to market it for sale as an operational refinery. A refinery sale would be a commercial matter between Phillips 66 and a potential purchaser. As this process is underway Whitegate will continue to be operated on a business as usual basis.

The Government views the continued operation of the Whitegate refinery on a commercial basis as highly desirable from an energy security and economic perspective. Security of supply remains a fundamental tenet of our energy policy. I have recently met a number of my Cabinet colleagues to discuss the refinery and I updated Government on the matter last week.