The government has the moral obligation to address the "shocking trend" of children being born with so-called 'unknown fathers', Azzjoni Nazzjonali said.

The fact that one in five children in Malta are registered as being the offspring of unknown fathers can only mean one of two things: either that a substantial number of women are very promiscuous, or that there is rampant social welfare abuse, AN said in a statement.

In either case, this was an unacceptable level of irresponsibility which decent citizens should refuse to put up with, much less subsidise.

"If they have no problem in sleeping around and siring children without a qualm, the least they should be obliged to do is to be made to maintain their offspring and not be left at leisure to perpetuate the problem at the taxpayer's expense," AN said.

Josie Muscat's party reiterated that benefits should be withheld from mothers who insist on not declaring the identity of the fathers of their children.

"Only in the circumstance of rape should there be an exception. This is not, as the so-called liberal writers have tried to portray it, a holy war on single mothers, but a moral obligation to bring those fathers who have been so far absolved of their obligations, to account (for) and to shoulder the consequences of their actions.