The Nationalist Party on Wednesday criticised the Minister for Active Ageing for the decision to evict Cospicua residents from the home for the elderly, which the government is saying has to be rebuilt.

Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, the minister said that the home had to be closed down for refurbishment to attain “five-star” standards.

He acknowledged that it could be “heartbreaking” for the 120 residents to be relocated while works were underway.

A number of residents over the past days insisted that they did not want to move out, arguing that the option of moving to other homes in nearby locations would cause them hardship.

The minister said that the home would be rebuilt and that rumours that it would be turned into a boutique hotel were untrue.  

In a statement, the PN said that in spite of preaching that the elderly should be involved in the decisions that affected them, it was evident that the government did not care for them to the detriment of their mental health.

The PN said that the government's decision to completely dismantle the home made many wonder why such a decision was taken.

Why did the government want to dismantle a home when €640,000 worth of work was carried out in it in the past years? It was evident that the government was not being transparent, it said.

It added that no report had so far been presented by the government to prove what it was saying. And no application had yet been filed at the Planning Authority or plans presented about its phantom project.

The PN said it was committed to ensure that the home remained the natural home of Cospicua residents and of many elderly in Cottonera, giving the elderly the dignity and respect they deserved.