820. Deputy Pat Buckley asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the status of the sale of the Whitegate oil refinery in County Cork; and if he has attempted to take it into public ownership. [6615/16]

In 2015, Phillips 66, the owners of Ireland's only oil refinery, announced their intention to sell the Whitegate refinery as a going concern. The sale process is a private commercial process between the owners and interested parties.  Phillips 66 recently advised my Department that the sale process is ongoing and that the company is engaging with a number of interested parties.

There are no plans to take the Whitegate refinery into public ownership.  However, the Government has acknowledged that the continued operation of the Whitegate refinery on a commercial basis is highly desirable from an energy security and economic perspective. Security of supply remains an important tenet of our energy policy.