asked the Minister for Energy if he will approach the major oil companies with a view to having the oil at present being refined at Milford Haven in Great Britain refined at Whitegate, County Cork, as has been the case heretofore.

The level of throughput at the Whitegate refinery, which is monitored on a regular basis by my Department, is not as high as I would wish. I have been considering and will continue to pursue all reasonable possibilities with a view to maintaining throughput at satisfactory levels.

Would the Minister indicate the extent to which there is underuse of the facilities at Whitegate?

Current usage is in the region of 70 per cent which is close to the minimum possible without very substantial changes and, perhaps, temporary closedown.

Would the Minister accept that it would be in the best interests of employment prospects in the area if there were maximum use of capacity? Is the possibility of a temporary closedown the only reason there is not full use of capacity at present?

No. The danger of a temporary closedown is one of the reasons why there should be greater utilisation. I would wish to see the facilities of the refinery used to the maximum extent possible and I have made this clear to the companies concerned.

I misunderstood the Minister and thought that to bring the refinery up to full capacity there might have to be a temporary closedown.

No.

Do the oil companies respond to the Minister if he says that he wants the oil being sold in Ireland to be refined here?

The broad answer is "yes", but there are factors which have changed the situation from what it used to be as regards the supply of crude oil to the oil companies, the methods by which it is shipped and the economics of that operation and also the kind of product that is required from crude oil and what can be produced at Whitegate. There are a number of factors which may affect the ability of the companies to utilise Whitegate to the full. I have made it clear to the oil companies that I wish Whitegate to be used to the maximum possible extent.

Is there a possibility that some of the oil which will be imported by the new Irish company will be refined at Whitegate?

Yes, I have asked them to consider that on an active basis and they will do so. However, the terms quoted for refining by Whitegate will have to be commercially competitive.