Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi told Parliament yesterday that, in view of the European Commission's decision to stop funding for education programmes, he had taken steps so that everyone would learn from this experience. In the near future he would announce radical decisions on a revision of the structures and operations of national authorities which administer EU funds.

The decisions, he said, would be taken on the basis of the lessons learned from the circumstances which had led the EU to suspend funds allocated to Malta for education programmes.

Dr Gonzi was the last of six government speakers who participated in the debate on a motion of no confidence in Education Minister Dolores Cristina because of the EC's decision. The motion was presented earlier this month by shadow education minister Evarist Bartolo.

Dr Gonzi said that another action he had taken was to call a meeting of all permanent secretaries in all ministries for a long discussion on what had happened and what was happening in all sectors. More importantly, he had asked that everyone, at all levels of reporting, should ensure that once there was an inkling of a problem the system would work.

From the onset, the Prime Minister made it clear that the most important thing of this debate was what should be learned from the past.

Dr Gonzi said he had never heard such weak arguments on a motion of no confidence - and on an Education Minister, at that - as those made by Opposition Leader Joseph Muscat. He said that analysing the opposition's mentality, one could come to the conclusion that it did not care about the national interest but was constantly anti-government. Even in this motion it was using students to attack the government. Instead of giving a progressive contribution, it was using the negativism typical of Super One media.

Referring to the political argument, Dr Gonzi belied Dr Muscat's suggestion that this was a government for half the people. He said the government had had the moral courage to put at the highest echelon of the country a person who had previously been active in the Labour Party.

The government had taken decisions which had never been taken before. The EU programmes were there for all the people, and when the government showed concern it was for all the people.

The government had preferred to bring the no-confidence motion for discussion to making a statement in the House, because this was the most transparent way to discuss things. The government accepted to be accountable and answer all arguments.

The irony of the whole argument was that the opposition was concerned about the temporary suspension of €4 million when, before the EU referendum, it had done whatever it took to keep Malta out of the EU with the effect that €1 billion would have been lost. No member sitting on the opposition benches was in favour of the EU. Dr Muscat had said this was 2010 and that history had changed. Dr Gonzi retorted that nobody could rewrite history.

The Prime Minister said it was now more important to see what lessons could be learned from this case.

He said that €4 million had been temporarily suspended and all must work for these programmes to be reactivated. Until such time, the government felt there was the need for a sacrifice to pay from taxpayers' money for these students to continue with their studies. It was the government's duty to use the country's resources for such cases.

There must be instilled a culture of respect for auditors. Their criticism should be accepted and not fought. In the public sector, such audits also served to have more efficiency and value for money. It was important that internal and external auditors' suggestions were heeded and acted on without delay.

The Prime Minister warned against future collapse of communication systems, saying that nothing should be taken for granted.

Concluding, Dr Gonzi said that the EU was a watchdog on everything, not just funds. It safeguarded the interests of European and national citizens and it was in Malta's interest that it should never pass through such an experience.

• At the start of yesterday's sitting, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca (PL) raised a breach of privilege complaint against The Times, saying that in Tuesday's edition she had not been truthfully quoted.