asked the Minister for Industry, Commerce and Energy the present storage capacity for oil within the country; and how long this country could last on the utilisation of such storage in the event of an oil embargo on this country.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Oil Storage Capacity.
7.
The storage capacity maintained by oil companies and large oil consumers within the country amounts to 1.4 million metric tonnes. In addition, the Gulf Oil transhipment terminal at Bantry Bay has a storage capacity of 1 million metric tonnes.
It is not of course feasible to keep storage tanks filled to capacity at all times and the stock held here at any one time is estimated to be in the region of 93 days supply, when operational capacity for the companies operating in the Irish oil market and unfilled capacity in the Bantry Bay terminal are taken into account. In addition some stocks are held on our account in other EEC countries.
The length the country's reserve stocks would last in the event of an oil embargo on this country would depend to a large extent on the nature and extent of such embargo. It would also depend on the extent of demand restraint or rationing imposed by us. The Deputy is no doubt aware that this country, as a member of the International Energy Agency, would participate in an oil sharing system which would be activated when supplies to any one country or to all countries in the agency fell by 7 per cent.
In the light of the vast storage facilities at Whiddy Island, Bantry Bay, will that fact be borne in mind by the Minister and the Government when it comes to a decision in regard to the siting of a refinery in this country?
That is a separate question.
Relevant, of course, to oil storage.
This question relates to oil storage. Supplementary questions should be for the elucidation of information sought in the original question.
I appreciate that.
What is the EEC regulation governing the number of days supply we must have in stock?
An EEC directive of 19 December 1972 obliges member State say 93 days' supply is currently in stock at present?
Did the Minister of State say 93 days is currently in stock?
That is what I said, yes.
And there are bilateral agreements with other countries in which storage is held for us. Could the Minister tell me what countries they are and what proportion of our 90 or 93 days stock is held in those countries?
That is a separate question.
Returns furnished by oil companies and large consumers under the EEC Minimum Stocks of Petroleum Oils regulation of 1974 show that the total oil stocks held in Ireland, including 135,000 tons held at Bantry Bay on 1 December, is 80 days. The balance of our 90 days requirements are held by stocks outside the country. I am afraid I have not got the list of countries.
I am sure if the Minister looks further back in his brief he will see the countries with which we have bilateral agreements and the amounts. I am trying to establish the fact that we have only 80 days of the 90 held in this country and that the rest is held by bilateral agreement.
That is correct.
Could the Minister tell me which countries they are?
That is a separate question.
I could not. I have not got the information.
I am sorry. My memory of the Department in which the Minister of State is now working— unless they have slipped up badly in the last six months is that they have certainly supplied that information to the Minister and it is in his brief.
The question is: are our reserves under any threat—I assume that is the suggestion of the Deputy——
Quite the reverse.
He can rest assured that the countries that have our stocks will be protecting our interests at all times.
The Minister should not put words in my mouth. I said absolutely nothing of the kind.
The Deputy should stick to the original question.
I am seeking to elicit information which is one of the purposes of Question Time. I believe that the Minister has that information——
The Deputy will not insist. The question relates to oil storage in this country.
It is a technical point of oil storage in this country under EEC regulations——
I am concerned only with the relevancy of supplementary questions.