Michael Colreavy (Sligo-North Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
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52. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the action he has taken to ensure Whitegate oil refinery in County Cork will remain in operation after July 2016. [44817/15]

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. Thereafter the future of the refinery is a commercial decision for the owners.

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. Officials from my Department and I have been in regular contact with the management of the Whitegate refinery and have also met several times with union representatives. Officials from my Department have also discussed the future of refining with the Irish Petroleum Industry Association and with other Government Departments and public bodies. I have recently met a number of my Cabinet colleagues to discuss the refinery and I updated Government on the matter last week.

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, and not as a terminal. 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.