St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation appeals for reason

The St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation has appealed for reason following comments made in Parliament by Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando.

Mgr Philip Calleja, President of the St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation in a statement expressed the Foundation’s regret at the remarks made by Dr Pullicino Orlando in Parliament on the proposed extension to the St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum.

Mgr Calleja said that the foundation regretted most of all that Dr Pullicino Orlando chose to repeat the "many inaccurate claims made by an NGO" while ignoring the denials or clarifications issued by the foundation over the past months.

"The foundation will be carrying out an extensive independent Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) under the control of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. This EIA will fully assess the implications and relevant considerations for the proposed museum expansion. As those familiar with the MEPA process will know, consultations will also be held on the terms of reference of the EIA to ensure that it covers all possible aspects of the proposed expansion. Furthermore, MEPA will then have to decide on the eventual project application once this is submitted," the foundation said.

"Rather than deciding for MEPA, Dr Pullicino Orlando should ensure that the Environmental Impact Assessment covers all matters of concern such as the underground passages, the excavations of the square, etc," the foundation quoted Mgr Calleja as saying.

He reiterated that the foundation would never take risks that would involve any apparent or real damage to the Co-Cathedral itself or to historical adjacent buildings.

"The preservation of the Co-Cathedral and the adjacent historical buildings remains the foundation’s priority and the proposed museum expansion is designed to ensure the preservation of this world-class monument in the face of the growing numbers that visit the Co-Cathedral."

In terms of EU funding, Mgr Calleja stated that following a public call - that all Maltese entities were encouraged to submit proposals for - the foundation made a detailed and technical submission in line with the published regulations under Priority Axis 2 of the Structural Funds Programme for Malta.

"It has to be recalled that the foundation remains an independent entity and is free - like other bodies - to apply for EU funds. It cannot, however, be held responsible for the failure of other entities to submit suitable projects for these funds."

A total €120 million are allocated to Priority Axis 2 of Malta’s Structural Funds Programme by the European Union and the Maltese Government. €13.798 million of these funds (to which the foundation will be adding €2.06 million from its own funds as its co-financing share) were allocated to St John’s following the extensive adjudication process carried out in line with EU regulations.

The objectives of this Priority Axis are the promotion of a sustainable and competitive tourism industry, supporting the upgrading of the tourism product and improving the competitiveness of tourism and culture operators. "

"The foundation reminds Dr Pullicino Orlando that St John’s Co- Cathedral has become the main cultural tourist attraction for visitors on the island attracting in the region of 400,000 visitors each year and therefore the relevance of the proposed project is highly significant to sustainable tourism in Malta.

"St John’s is also one of the few cultural sites that attracts visitors to Malta in its own right. It is ironic to hear the museum extension described as 'an extravagance' since the same word has been used to describe the Co-Cathedral itself over the centuries."

Mgr Calleja appealed for reason in the discussion on the proposed Co-Cathedral museum extension. He said he hoped that the foundation would not continue to be penalised because it was planning ahead to avert visitors’ damage to the Co-Cathedral rather than reacting after the damage was caused which, as is well known, is still the norm in Malta.

"Surely Dr Pullicino Orlando is aware that there are other EU funds available that could still be allocated to valid projects, including the restoration of forts and bastions," Mgr Calleja said.