The government had tried to help when it was informed by the Dominican Sisters that for various reasons they were unable to continue caring for children at Lourdes Home in Gozo but the Order had decided to stop such work and that, therefore, a re-housing exercise should start, the Social Policy Ministry said.

The decision was communicated to the Social Policy Ministry via two letters, one dated February 14 and the other April 6.

The second letter, in which the Mother Superior insisted for an urgent re-housing of the children, was written just a day after The Times reported that a commission set up by Gozo Bishop Mario Grech had found that "in some particular cases there had been inadmissible behaviour (at Lourdes Homes) involving minors that should have never taken place".

Mgr Grech, who made a public apology for the abuse, insisted that he would like to see the Home continuing with its work.

The Sisters, however, had decided otherwise and social workers had to find alternative placements for the 10 children living in the Home. The majority of the children have already been re-homed.

Children's Commissioner Carmen Zammit last week voiced concern about the uprooting of children from the Home, saying she had made a proposal for the government to step in to keep the Home open in a bid to avoid unnecessary turmoil for the children. Ms Zammit lamented that her proposal had fallen on deaf ears.

Judging by what the ministry said, it appears that the government had tried to intervene but the Sisters were determined in closing down the Home for the children.

The ministry in fact said that in her letter of February 14, the Mother Superior wrote that her congregation was unable to continue providing accommodation and welfare for the children.

The government had looked into the possibility of providing care workers to support the sisters. However, the Mother Superior insisted that the Order had decided to stop working with minors and in her second letter insisted that the children are urgently re-housed. Moreover, it was deemed that finding alternative homes for the children - aged between eight and 15 - was in their best interest.

The ministry said that the future of Lourdes Home needs evaluation and discussion, adding that only after proper analysis can the right decisions be taken.

"The development of the children's sector needs to be well thought out and that decisions are consistent with the right strategy for children's welfare. All other decisions will flow naturally from this direction," it said.

The ministry underlined its commitment to safeguard the best interests of children, with particular reference to developing systems that secure stability and development of those needing out-of-home care.

It also pointed out that the Church plays an important role in this sector and, although the methods and mode of care for children were changing, this did not preclude the Church from playing an important role.

The government, it said, would continue to discuss ways to improve the systems and services with the Church.