Nationalist Party claims that people had been listed twice on the Electoral Register were "nothing new" and were intended to sow doubt about an ID card system that was professional and robust, the government said today.

Each of the cases highlighted by PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami yesterday in parliament had already been discussed and resolved, it added in its statement. 

Both Maltese citizens mentioned by the PN MP were among the few who had an ID card in the 'P' category because they had been unable to present their birth certificate. In one case, Identity Malta's internal systems had highlighted the discrepancy and the Electoral Commission had immediately been informed. 

The other case dated back to the previous administration, when the person had been given an ID card in 2007 and another in 2008, and had also been reported to the Electoral Commission, the government said. 

PN deputy leader Beppe Fenech Adami.

In the cases of foreigners caught lying about their residence address, the government said that three had used the address mentioned by Dr Fenech Adami for residence permits issued in 2006 and which had expired the subsequent year. 

The fourth person was an irregular migrant from Eritrea who had never had an ID card issued by Identity Malta, and who had lived in the property mentioned by the PN leader between 2011 and 2013. 

"The Opposition should be more mature and serious in its criticism," the ministry chastised, adding that Malta's ID card system had been certified as conforming to European standards.