There are no pending applications by Palumbo to engage foreign workers at the dockyard, Education and Employment Minister Dolores Cristina has told Parliament in reply to a parliamentary question.

Italian company Palumbo formally took over the dockyard on June 3.

Managing Director Antonio Palumbo, when asked at the time whether the company would give priority to the employment of Maltese, was evasive but said it all depended on professionalism and costs, but the human element was very important in ship repair.