Political and practical obstructions have left the Monchique mayor little option but to announce that the repairs to, and reconstruction of, properties damaged by the recent devastating fires, will only be concluded in 2019 “due to legal problems.”
The wildfire that swept across the hills and through the valleys of the densely wooded Council area started on August 3rd and finally declared extinguished a week later after 27,600 hectares of land was left charred with many buildings damaged or destroyed .
As for the mayor’s reconstruction plans, “At the present time, we have some home ownership questions as some homes are not legal and are there are some landlords who do not want their properties to be rebuilt as they want their tenants to leave,” reported Mayor Rui André.
Up in Pedrógão Grande and other areas hit by last year’s fires, less than 50% of the €50.6 million direct aid money, authorised by the European Commission, has found its way to local councils to be spent on local aid.
The government has decided to hang on to €26.5 million of the total, claiming this will be sent to the National Civil Protection service, the GNR and the Institute of Forestry and Nature, among other bodies, rather than Councils, even claiming that the worst hit, Pedrógão Grande, has had enough money already.
At the time the grant from the European Union Solidarity Fund was announced, the government gave the impression that funds would go Councils, not to fund national institutions.
Internal Affairs Minister, Eduardo Cabrita, said it up to the European Commission to clarify that the Portuguese authorities are allowed to decide how to apply the funds granted by Brussels.
The EU spokesperson for Regional Policy, Johannes Bahrke, confirmed that the money was managed at Member State level and that "it is up to the Portuguese authorities to decide where the funds should be allocated, in accordance, of course, with the applicable rules," adding that the rules at EU level "exclude, for example, compensation for private losses but could be used to cover public and emergency recovery costs."
Eduardo Cabrita assured that "the fund is destined both for the recovery of areas affected by the fires of last year and also for what is a great national objective: to ensure that we are better prepared."
Of the €26.5 million sent to institutions, the government claims this has been used to buy vehicles and firefighting equipment.
This did not stop opposition MPs from laying into the 'obscene situation' where aid money had been 'diverted' to areas that the State already should be supporting with central funds.
