The grant has been at the centre of controversy since, following the vandalism of the temples on Good Friday, it surfaced that the funds had not been released by the WMF, even though the project had been approved.

A game of ping-pong followed, with Culture Minister Louis Galea saying the WMF was partly to blame for the delay and an outraged WMF vehemently denying the accusation, even pointing out that, as recently as two weeks ago, it had still not received the necessary bank details, allowing it to send over the funds.

Yesterday the WMF told MaltaToday that it was happy to report that the first payment of the $50,000 grant had been released.

The painstaking project to reconstruct the badly-damaged Mnajdra temples got underway a week and a half ago. The work will include the formidable task of putting some 70 megaliths back into place.

From the three temples that make up Mnajdra, the middle one has sustained most of the damage, although vandals also attacked the lower temple.

The restoration plan was drawn up immediately following the Good Friday vandalism.

As well as the re-location of displaced megaliths following a thorough documentation of damage, experts are also looking at structural problems and stone conservation issues.

Although the desecration of the temples provoked an outcry that overrode political or other allegiances, there was also criticism from some quarters about the state of the temples and the lack of security surrounding them. The fact that the WMF grant had been awarded but not yet utilised did little to quell the critics.

Since that time, watchmen have been transferred from schools to museums and sites and the ministry has undertaken to employ additional security guards and install infrastructure where required.

Dr Galea told MaltaToday that a broad security strategy was being formulated, which would include the installation of security systems and necessary infrastructure.

He added that police had been assigned to perform spot duties at the temples, while the Armed Forces were still carrying out inspections and patrols.

"The current security fence has been strengthened further as a temporary measure, while the Museums Department had, as early as February 2001, commissioned the Works Division to produce a tender document and implement execution of a new security fence on the same level of that used at Hagar Qim," the minister said.

Nobody has yet been charged with the vandalism of the temples.