Nationalist MP Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando has called on the government to divert EU funds allocated for the ‘extravagant’ underground extension of St John’s Co-Cathedral Museum to the urgent restoration of Forts St Elmo and St Angelo.
Speaking in Parliament this morning, Dr Pullicino Orlando said sections of these historic forts were in a shameful state. Architect Edward Said, who had inspected Fort St Elmo had found that parts could collapse with just a kick. Parliamentary Secretary Mario deMarco had also rightly drawn attention to the urgency of restoring this fort.
Dr Pullicino Orlando said he could not understand how the government had sought €14 million from EU structural and cohesion funds for the controversial St John’s project when the two forts could be restored with a third of that amount. The country, clearly, needed to recognise its priorities and he was appealing to the Planning and Priorities Division in the Office of the Prime Minister to reconsider.
Indeed, one had to wonder how the St John’s project was selected for EU funding in the first place. This would take more funds than the archaeological conservation project of Heritage Malta and the tourism zones upgrade of the MTA.
The proposed project at St John’s would cause major inconvenience while works were in progress and it was difficult to believe it would not damage the Co-Cathedral itself. The responsible architect himself was not giving guarantees.
And once the Cathedral foundation itself had stopped a neighbouring shop from digging a small hole for a safe, because of the risk of damage to the Cathedral, how could it then apply to dig a whole quarry outside St John’s?
Furthermore, was it true that there would also be tunnels under the Cathedral itself for access purposes? And did anyone believe these would not cause damage to the historic edifice? The development would probably also damage Valletta's historic tunnels.
Dr Pullicino Orlando said he also disagreed with changes proposed to the churchyard where the knights were buried.
The new museum would also have huge maintenance costs. Surely it made more sense to use such funds on restoration works? The environment impact assessment on its own would cost €50,000. And at the same time other historic jewels were in real danger of being lost for ever.
Dr Pullicino Orlando urged the foundation to seek cheaper and more viable alternatives, including exhibiting some of the museum items in a nearby palazzo.
"Should the government go ahead with this project, it would be acting like a father who lets his children run about in old, torn clothes, while he buys a BMW to impress his friends. Given its limited resources, this country clearly needs to set its priorities," Dr Pullicino Orlando said.
The Nationalist MP welcomed government plans to cover Hagar Qim and carry out works at Tarxien and Ggantija temples, St Paul Catacombs and sections of the ramparts at Cottonera, Mdina and Valletta.