Senglea residents of Bastion Street up to Senglea Point are being subjected to sleepless nights due to the noise which is primarily generated as a result of repair works on these oil rigs, Alternattiva Demokratika chairman Arnold Cassola said.

He said the party listened to the complaints of residents about the noise, primarily during the silent hours, resulting from the oil rig repairs at the Palumbo Shipyards.

"We ask: who decided that these works be taken in hand without first assessing the impacts on the residential community? Throughout its years of operation this is not the first time that the shipyard has been the cause of resident irritation both as a result of noise generated as well as a result of the impacts of grit blasting."

Deputy chairman Carmel Cacopardo said: "The fact that the Palumbo shipyard borders a residential community should of itself be a sufficient reason for it to consider carefully its impacts before proceeding with such decisions.

"We also query what the Environment Directorate at Mepa is doing to protect the quality of life of the residents of Senglea. The said directorate should have monitored the situation and acted immediately as soon as it was necessary to provide protection from noise pollution.