Opposition motion urges government to stop underground extension of St John's museum

Opposition leader Joseph Muscat has given notice of a motion in Parliament calling on the government to withdraw its support for the underground extension of St John's Co-Cathedral Museum and to use EU funds in a better way.

The motion says that the Planning and Priorities Coordination Division of the Office of the Prime Minister had approved the project, which would cost some €16 million, of which some €14 million would come from EU funds.

The motion notes that one of the members of the foundation, nominated by the government, is Richard Cachia Caruana, Malta's permanent representative to the EU. His presence, in the absence of a clear indication of the government priorities for the use of EU funds, created a conflict of interest, the motion says.

The motion also notes objections to the project from a number of NGOs, who had voiced fears that the works could be detrimental to the Cathedral and to underground structures in the Capital.

The motion therefore:

Calls on the government to immediately revoke its backing for the proposed project and, instead, to propose the identification, restoration and use of other buildings in Valletta to serve as an extension of the museum in the context of a professionally-drawn up plan for the regeneration of Valletta;

Asks the government to immediately launch a broad consultation on the priorities for the use of European Union funds so that a consensus may be reached, more so since the implementation of such projects would cover more than one legislature and there needs to be continuity of purpose which would be above partisan politics.

Joseph Muscat signed the motion.

The foundation's plans were announced last year and drew strong criticism from NGOs and others such as Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando who, in Parliament, had said that there were higher priorities which deserved EU financial assistance. MEPA recently launched a consultation process on the project.