Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici has inaugurated the recently restored statue of St Joseph in Ħal Għaxaq.

Minister Bonnici praised the continuous works which are being carried out by the Restoration Directorate to intervene on and maintain our country's monuments and buildings, which hold national and traditional significance. The Restoration Directorate has carried out works in 70% of our localities and has 71 currently ongoing projects at various stages. "We are committed to further strengthen our heritage and traditions, especially since these form an intrinsic part of our identity as a country. Through this intervention, we are ensuring that this landmark is available for generations to come," stated Bonnici.

These maintenance and repair works were carried out in line with restoration principles and included: cleaning of the stone statue and underlying pedestal from superficial deposits and biological soiling; pinning of detached moulded sections; plastic repair of deteriorated stonework; localised pointing of open mortar joints; cleaning of marble plaques and retouching works on inscribed wording.